


It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

by wendywrites



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-20
Updated: 2014-12-26
Packaged: 2018-03-02 13:15:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 43,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2813258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wendywrites/pseuds/wendywrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the outbreak, Youngjae was sure that he lost everything, his friends, his family, his former life. He was right, but he was also wrong. He's suffered loss, yes, but he also ends up gaining as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. part one

Youngjae lies on his back, staring up at the ceiling but seeing nothing, the sound of his light breathing reverberating through the room. He’s alone and it’s quiet, two things that he is decidedly not used to, but which he’s had to endure for…well, he’s not entirely sure anymore; he stopped counting the days a while ago. Still it wasn’t too long ago that he could make out the noise of frenzied packing and shouting through the not-so-thick walls. That was right about when the panic set in after news of the mass outbreak first broke. From the pictures and video that were played on the news it seemed as though all of Seoul tried to flee the city, either to destinations abroad or to the less populated areas in the countryside—areas like Youngjae’s hometown. Youngjae tries not to think about what’s become of his parents and his siblings—tries not to think about anything really—and even though he’s become somewhat accustomed to passing his days with nothing to distract him from his thoughts, it’s hard not to wonder. If they’re thinking of him, if they’re safe in Mokpo, if the outbreak spread there too, if they’re still in the country, if they’re still alive…

  
He tries to distract himself from those terribly bleak thoughts with slightly less bleak thoughts and Youngjae instead wonders if the little bookshop that he used to work in is still intact. He wishes he could just pop down once to get some new books to read because he's bored out of his skull. When the electricity was still running, he could hunch over his laptop with headphones on and re-watch some DVDs, pretend that everything was still alright in the world, but that stopped being an option when the power went and his battery subsequently died a week later.  At least he still has running water. He can't imagine how miserable he'd be if he couldn't do simple things like brush his teeth or bathe.

  
As much as he’s hardly moved in the past two or so weeks, he won't be able to carry on like that much longer. Anything that was in the fridge has long been eaten or gone bad. He’d stocked up on rice, canned food, and water on the advice of his parents when the outbreak was just starting to become worrying, but before mass hysteria set it. He was sceptical at the time, thinking that he was spending too much money—a precious resource then, utterly useless now—and would feel incredibly foolish when the whole thing blew over. He’s glad he listened to them now. Staying locked up in his tiny flat and carefully rationing his little stockpile has probably kept him alive for this long when so many other people have been killed, but that’s running low now and he can't live on just water. As he slowly chews some slightly stale rice crackers, he wonders how far he'd have to go to find some canned food. It's not a reach to think that at least one of his neighbours might have left behind a can or two in their haste. There probably wouldn't be much and it might not be easy to get to, but he’ll definitely starve left if he doesn't try something.

 

“Right, I guess that's settled then,” Youngjae murmurs to no-one, his voice scratchy from disuse and his throat dry.

 

He unscrews a bottle of water and raises it to his lips to soothe his thirst.  When he’s finished with his paltry meal, he eases himself to his feet and hobbles over to the door. He slowly raises his hand to the doorknob and keeps it there for a long moment. Before, he used to go in and out several times a day, but now it’s been weeks since he last even touched it. Before, he used to make his way to school and to his part time job with ease, feeling like a long-time resident of the city, but now he has no idea what to expect when he goes outside. Both the living room and his bedroom have windows, but Youngjae has kept their thick curtains drawn. A glance at his watch tells him that it's half past seven. If there’s any sunlight left, it will certainly be getting low. He’s surprised that a whole day has already gone by; it was noon the last time he checked his watch.

 

“I thought time only flies when you were having fun,” Youngjae mumbles to himself as he trudges his way through the living room and to his bedroom. “Tomorrow then,” he sighs.

 

It wouldn't make sense for him to leave when it’s so dark. Better to get a full night's sleep and start his search early the next day. As much as he doesn’t do anything to tire himself out during the days, Youngjae finds it’s been pretty easy to fall asleep; maybe his whole body’s metabolism has slowed down. Sleep takes a little longer to come to him now though, the thought of making his first steps into a radically changed world weighing heavily on his mind. It’s not exactly late, but he’d rather not sit up for hours and get himself so worked up about it that he puts it off indefinitely and starves out of cowardice. So, he gets up and crosses the living room to open his old roommate’s door.

 

That’s another thing he doesn’t really like to think about. The bed is sloppily made, a pile of overturned books are splayed in a corner, and clothes of varying cleanliness are scattered across the floor. Before, Youngjae used to avoid coming in here as much as possible because Jackson had A Thing about people being inside his room, but some days Youngjae breaks taboo and lies on his bed, possibly in the wild hope that the older man will sense the trespassing and appear at the door to tell him off. Now, he goes to Jackson's pile of books and shifts through them, picking up a battered, old psychology text. Back in his own room, Youngjae gets through about four mind-numbing chapters before his eyes start to droop. Somewhere in the midst of a passage on loss and denial, Youngjae's eyes finally close.

 

 

 

Youngjae squints his eyes as strong breeze blows sand and sea water into his eyes. He's sitting on a towel and his older brother and sister are playing volleyball while his Jackson and his father argue over the best way to build a sandcastle; his mother is sunbathing beside him.

 

“Nana, don't get so close to the sea!” Youngjae calls out, but his dog pays him no mind, rushing into the water to chase after the volleyball. His sister, Seoyoung, chases after her and they're both swallowed immediately up by the waves. Youngjae moves forward but finds himself yanked backto the sand.

 

“Sis, how are you so clumsy that you can’t even retrieve a stray ball? The dog would do a better job and she doesn’t even have thumbs,” his brother, Jaerim, laughs before he jogs into the sea as well. Youngjae still can’t move from his spot.

 

“Hey, Seoyoung, Jaerim, come and judge who has the best castle, me or Jackson.” His father has no such problem; he runs into the sea after them and disappears as well.

 

“My castle is the best, of course. My brother studied architecture so I know my way around a building.” Youngjae turns his head to see Jackson staring proudly at his creation with his hands on his hips. Somehow he’s managed to make a castle that’s five feet taller than him.

 

“Oh wow, that looks great,” Youngjae says in awe.

 

“Thank you,” Jackson beams before the castle collapses on him, burying him in the sand.

 

“Mum!” Youngjae calls out. She yawns and stretches languidly before she sits up. Without saying a word, she kisses him on the forehead and strolls away along the beach. When Youngjae is finally able to move, he tries to chase after her, only to realise that she's gone too, not even her footprints remain.

 

 

 

Youngjae opens his eyes to darkness, unsure of where he is for a moment. He sits up and gropes for his watch, using the penlight he keeps by his bed to see that it's ten past four. He rolls over and goes back to sleep his dream already half-forgotten.

 

 

 

At a later time, Youngjae opens his eyes again. He knows he had a dream last night, but the only thing he can remember is him walking along an empty beach, trying to swim out to sea, but getting hurled back onto the shore by the waves. Shaking his head, he gets up and goes about his usual morning routine, washing his face and brushing his teeth, noting that the water is slowly getting colder. After a breakfast of slightly burned rice and kimchi from a can, Youngjae gets dressed and grabs his old school bag. At the front door he pauses for a moment. Then he shakes his head, placing his hand on the doorknob and slowly turning it until it completes its revolution. Taking a deep breath, he pulls the door open incrementally, his left leg poised to brace and shut the door if something unpleasant is nearby. Outside there's not a single living—or dead—soul that he can see; the landing of the staircases leading to the higher and lower floors are blessedly empty save for a crumpled yellow shirt in the corner of the lower landing that’s dirty with shoe prints.

 

He cautiously steps out and closes his door with the same carefulness that he opened it with, his eyes flickering between the upper and lower staircases. When the door is closed behind him, he’s faced with some dilemmas. Does he lock the door behind him to prevent something from wandering inside while he’s gone or does he leave it unlocked in case he needs to make a quick retreat? Does he search the upper floors or the lower floors first? Should he go back inside and try to find something he could possibly use as a weapon or would that just slow him down? He’s tempted to flip a coin to make his decisions, but then he gives himself a shake. He got into a great university on a scholarship; he’s got more than enough wits to make use of.

 

He considers the worst case scenario: he has a run-in with one or more of the creatures and needs to make a quick getaway. It would be better to check the upper floors then, since it’s easier to run down the stairs than up, and Youngjae is definitely not in the best running shape. Next, he’s not sure how much human knowledge the things have retained, if they still remember how to open doors, but it wouldn’t be pleasant to have one of them fumble their way inside his haven; even if he managed to kill it, the simple presence of it would freak him out, so he should lock the door, but keep the key within easy reach on himself. Lastly, one of Jackson’s fencing sabres might be somewhere in his room, but even if he found one, he has no idea how to use it, so no weapon it is.

 

That decided, he balls his hands into fists, takes a deep breath, and creeps silently up the stairs before he can lose his nerve. He pauses at the landing of the next floor, glancing up at the higher level. Should he check this one first or go to the top and work his way down? Thinking quickly, he figures that going so far on his first venture out is probably unwise, and so he checks the door of the apartment on the current floor. Thankfully, the door isn’t locked, so he pushes it open and creeps inside. The basic layouts of the apartments in this block are pretty much identical and so Youngjae has no difficulty finding the kitchen. He heads straight to the pantry, taking care not to trip over any of the clothes, shoes, and other items scattered across the living room floor; it's clear that the occupants of this house left in a hurry.

 

Once he makes it to the pantry, he hefts the bag that he's been carrying off his shoulder and onto the floor as he combs the shelves. In contrast to the mess in the living room, the pantry looks relatively untouched. Maybe they thought they wouldn't have to worry about food where they were going, or maybe they couldn't take much with them. Either way, he doubts they're coming back and so Youngjae stuffs his bag with as many tins as he can fit. There's more food here than he anticipated, perhaps he can come back to fill another bag. He's just about ready to leave, when an inhuman groan echoes through the silence.

 

In shock, he drops a tin of baby corn. There's a pause, and then the groaning becomes more insistent, coming closer and closer. Youngjae freezes; he can't decide if he should try to make a run for it and head back to his apartment, or if he should try to find a hiding place. The decision is taken from him when the body limps into the kitchen, looking right at him. Youngjae fumbles for a tin and hurls it at the body's rotting face. It stumbles back a bit but continues its pursuit. Youngjae throws another tin and misses entirely. The thing is right in front of him now, Youngjae can feel its acrid breath tickle his face, and he still can't seem to move his legs. All he can think is that he should've stayed locked in the safety of his flat for just a little bit longer. It grabs him by the arms and opens its mouth wide and then its head explodes into a spray of blood and flesh, its unmoving remains collapsing at his feet.

 

“Hey, what are you just standing there for? Hurry up!”

 

Youngjae blinks and stares at the figure before him. It's a red haired guy around his age with a metal baseball bat, wearing blue jeans, a white shirt that is not so white anymore, and a denim jacket. The stranger swings the bat in a downward arc, excess blood splashing against the floor, before he goes to retrieve the cans that Youngjae threw in his poor attempt at self-defence.

 

“You don’t dawdle once you’re outside of a safe area,” he mutters to himself as he rushes up to the pantry and shoves the remaining food into a bag of his own. As soon as he’s finishes he runs out towards the living room.

 

Youngjae jumps and finds himself chasing after the redhead. He suddenly comes to a stop right by the staircase, Youngjae almost crashing into his back.

 

“Jaebum, any luck?” he calls up the stairs.

 

“I managed to salvage vitamins and painkillers, but otherwise the place is uninhabitable,” a voice floats down ahead of a guy with pitch black hair and sharp eyes; he’s also carrying a baseball bat. “Who’s this?” His eyes narrow at Youngjae.

 

“Don’t know,” the redhead answers, glancing over his shoulder to stare at Youngjae.

 

Youngjae takes an involuntary step backward.

 

“Who else is with you?” the one named Jaebum asks.

 

“N-no-one, I’m alone. I live on the next floor down. This is the first time I’ve left my apartment since the outbreak hit,” Youngjae wrings his hands.

 

The two strangers turn to each other, holding gazes for a moment before they turn back to Youngjae.

 

“Given that I just saved your life, how about you return the favour by letting us weather out the rain?” the redhead asks in a reasonable tone.

 

“It’s raining outside?” Youngjae blinks.

 

“How do you not even know that?” Jaebum groans.

 

The redhead lays a hand on his forearm. “Well?” He raises his eyebrows.

 

“Um, I suppose that would be alright,” Youngjae mumbles.

 

“Great! Lead the way.”

 

Youngjae blinks before he turns and heads for the stairs, jogging quickly and pulling his keys out of his pockets.

 

“You locked the door? Well, at least you have that much sense,” Jaebum says airily as he follows Youngjae inside, kicking off his shoes and resting his bat in the entryway.

 

Youngjae frowns, feeling his face heat up.

 

“Don’t mind him; Jaebum can be a bit… difficult at first. My name’s Mark, by the way. What’s yours?” Mark smiles holding a hand out after Youngjae locks them all inside.

 

“My name is Youngjae,” Youngjae takes the hand, letting Mark shake it.

 

“So this is where you've been staying this whole time? Do you, well, did you live here alone?” Jaebum throws himself on the sofa in the living room.

 

“No, I…I had a housemate,” Youngjae toes off his shoes, but hovers by the entryway.

 

“Did he…?” Mark furrows his eyebrows.

 

“I don’t know,” Youngjae bites his lip, “I don’t know what happened to any of my friends and family.”

 

Mark lays a hand on his shoulder, rubbing it a bit, and even Jaebum hums sympathetically.

 

“So, what was your game plan for your first trip out into the new world?” Jaebum asks after a while.

 

Youngjae’s shoulder is starting to ache and so he carries his bag into the kitchen and starts unloading his quarry. “Well, I was just going to check the apartments in this block for food since I was running low. I had considered going a bit further if I didn’t find anything, but then I ran into you two,” Youngjae shrugs.

 

“What did you do all day in here?” Mark asks softly, looking around the room.

 

“Nothing really. I’ve read all my books and there’s no-one to talk to. I pretty much just eat and wait for nightfall so I can sleep again,” Youngjae scratches his cheek with a finger. He didn’t give much thought to it when he was living it, but having to recount it to someone else makes him realise just how pathetic it sounds. “What about you?”

 

“Not unlike you, we stayed locked away when the hysteria kicked in and things were at their most frenzied. Once the dust settled, we decided that staying where we were wasn’t an option anymore, and so we’re heading to a place owned by a friend of mine. Before he phone lines went down, he said he’d be there,” Jaebum drawls as he makes himself comfortable on the sofa.

 

“How far away is it?” Youngjae asks.

 

“Not too far, we’d be there by now if we could drive, but of course it’s slower on foot. Getting through the city without getting ourselves eaten alive has also slowed us down considerably. We should hopefully be able to pick up the pace once we get to the outskirts of Seoul,” Jaebum mumbles, blinking slowly.

 

“Jaebum, it’s alright,” Mark says significantly, lifting his chin.

 

Jaebum squints back at him, but Mark just nods insistently. Jaebum finally sighs before he sprawls out on the sofa. He’s asleep in minutes.

 

“It’s too bad we can’t stay for long, it’s been ages since we were both able to sleep comfortably,” Mark says wistfully. “We have to take turns, and Jaebum has a habit of stretching himself too thin, letting me sleep longer than we agreed. Ahhh...”

 

Youngjae blinks in surprise at the sounds suddenly emanating from Mark’s abdomen.

 

“Sorry, it’s also been a while since we had much to eat,” Mark grimaces, a hand lifting to rub his stomach.

 

“It’s alright, you can go ahead and have some food,” Youngjae gestures to the kitchen.

 

“Thanks,” Mark flashes a smile. “By chance, is there any way to heat things up or cook?”

 

“There’s still gas left in the cylinder, but it’ll probably run out soon. Still, it should be enough to boil some more rice.”

 

“You have rice?”  Mark looks up in surprise.

 

Youngjae nods, heading into the kitchen to dig out what remains of his ten kilogram bag. “I stocked up on food and other supplies before things went from bad to worse. Um, it was my parents’ idea. I thought it was a bit much at the time, but, well…” Youngjae half-expects Mark to tell him that they’re probably alright, but he doesn’t do that.

 

“My parents wanted me to come back home as soon as possible, but I delayed too long, and now I might not be able to see them again even if they are alive,” Mark says ruefully.

 

“Where is home for you? You speak Korean well, but you kind of have a strange accent,” Youngjae tilts his head.

 

“My hometown is in the US, Los Angeles to be specific,” Mark says, the corner of his lips curling upwards as he pulls out a pot before pausing at the sink. “Is this water safe to drink?”

 

“You know I’ve never thought of that,” Youngjae says to himself, eyebrows furrowed. He looks up when he hears Mark giggle. “What is it?”

 

“Nothing, it’s just you–Never mind, it’s nothing,” Mark shakes his head, ducking his head to hide a smile.

 

Youngjae pouts but lets it go. “I’ve got bottled water if you don’t want to risk it, but I’ve been using the tap water for weeks and nothing’s happened,” he shrugs.

 

“I suppose it should be fine since I’m boiling it anyway, and we should probably save water we know is safe for when we head out on the road, uh, but yeah I’ll use the tap water,” Mark shakes his head again before he starts washing the rice. When he’s finishes, Youngjae uses matches to ignite the gas and sets the timer on the stove for twenty minutes.

 

“Ugh, I feel so grimy,” Mark groans, wiping a dirty hand on his dirty jeans. “Would you mind if I used your shower?”

 

“No, it’s no problem,” Youngjae shakes his head earnestly. “I think I’ve got a spare toothbrush lying around as well. You could wash up while the rice cooks, and I could give you some clean clothes to wear while I wash yours,” Youngjae offers.

 

“Uh, you don’t have to do my laundry for me,” Mark chuckles a bit, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

“I have nothing else to do anyway,” Youngjae shrugs. “The shower is right through there. I’ll go get some clothes for you,” Youngjae scuttles off to his room before Mark can protest anymore.

 

The both of them are about the same height, and though Mark is a bit thinner than Youngjae, his clothes shouldn’t be too big on him. He figures that Mark is probably tired too, if not as exhausted as Jaebum, so he pulls out some pyjama bottoms and a white t-shirt from his drawer. That in hand, he pauses as he considers whether he should lend Mark a pair of his underwear as well. He bites his lip. Wearing somebody else’s underwear is a bit weird, but they are clean, and if Mark doesn’t want to wear them, then he doesn’t have to wear them. Youngjae pulls out one of his newer pairs and wraps it up with the spare toothbrush in the shirt and pyjama pants.

 

“Mark, I brought clothes for you to wear,” Youngjae knocks on the door. It opens just enough for Youngjae to be able to pass the clean clothes to Mark and for Mark to pass his dirty ones to Youngjae.

 

“Um, thanks again,” Mark says before he closes the door.

 

Youngjae heads to the small washroom located just off the kitchen and fills a small basin with water, adding some detergent. He doesn’t know why he’s going through so much trouble. Sure, Mark saved his life and he’s grateful for it, but it’s not just that Youngjae offered to wash his clothes, but how much he wants to do a great job at it, how he wants to see Mark smile at him when he thanks him.

 

After he scrubs at the bloodstains on Mark’s clothes with a brush, Youngjae leaves them to soak in the soapy water. He pauses as he passes Jaebum sleeping on the sofa. Mark might be a bit smaller than Youngjae, but Jaebum is definitely larger, and Youngjae doesn’t like to wear his clothes three sizes too big like Jackson does.

 

“Jackson,” Youngjae murmurs, staring at his roommate’s door with consideration. It would be rude to go through the other boy’s things and offer Jaebum clothes that aren’t his, but there are several possible reasons why Jackson won’t mind anymore…

 

Shaking off those thoughts, Youngjae enters the other boy’s room. He quickly grabs a t-shirt and a pair of sweat bottoms, not even thinking about pilfering any underwear, and exits the room. He folds the clothes and places them beside Jaebum’s head. Just then, the timer for the rice goes off. Youngjae checks to make sure that it’s cooked properly before he shifts the pot off the fire, replacing it with a pan. Looking at the cans of meat, Youngjae contemplates what to open before he shrugs and grabs some at random. If Mark and Jaebum are half as hungry as Youngjae thinks they are, then they’ll probably eat anything that’s edible. As the food heats up, Youngjae pulls out three bowls and fills them with rice, putting more in Mark and Jaebum’s bowls than his own.

 

“Is the rice finished? Something smells good,” Mark moans as he pads into the kitchen, arms stretched above his head, exposing a sliver of his abdomen. Youngjae blinks when the shirt lowers again and he looks up to see Mark grinning lazily and shifting his damp hair out of his face. “The only way that shower could’ve been better is if the water was hot, but that was still the second best shower I’ve ever had in my life.”

 

“Jaebum can shower too if he wants, I left clothes out for him. I think I only had that one extra toothbrush though.”

 

“That’s alright, we can share it,” Mark waves a hand dismissively before he walks out to wake up Jaebum.

 

“Oh…okay,” Youngjae frowns a bit, turning off the fire and spooning the meat into a bowl. Then he pops open some cans of vegetables and spoons them out into bowls as well. As he’s carry them to the low table in the living room, he sees Mark standing over Jaebum, shaking him and lightly tapping his face.

 

“Come on, Jaebummie. Just wake up to eat, and then you can go back to sleep,” Mark coos. Youngjae opens his mouth, not sure what he’d even say, but he closes it and goes back to the kitchen to finish laying down the bowls. When he returns, Mark has Jaebum half-sitting up and half-draped over his shoulder.

 

“The food is right here, Jaebum.” Jaebum inhales deeply and then he’s sitting up on his own, rubbing the remaining sleep out of his eyes. He moves to sit by the table, but Mark grabs him under the armpits and pulls him up. “Wait, go brush your teeth first and make sure you use the blue toothbrush.”

 

“That wasn’t part of the deal,” Jaebum grumbles, but staggers to his feet and slinks off in the direction Mark points him in.

 

“Hurry up or we’ll start without you,” Mark calls out.

 

Jaebum waves a hand, not even looking back.

 

“You two seem to be close, did you know each other before?” Youngjae asks while tracing idle patterns on the table.

 

“Yeah, Jaebum has been one of my best friends for three years. I’m glad I was with him when this all started, he’s been invaluable,” Mark smiles cutely, flashing his canines.

 

“Hmmm,” Youngjae nods, his stomach churning with hunger and something else.

 

“Wow, to think something as simple as brushing your teeth could feel so amazing,” Jaebum sighs as he returns to the table.

 

“I know right!” Mark exclaims as he runs his tongue over the front of his teeth, revelling in the minty clean feeling.

 

Jaebum opens his mouth wide and puffs his breath into Mark’s face, who giggles, scrunching up his nose. Youngjae coughs, waving a hand vaguely over the food when he gets their attention.

 

“Right, let’s eat,” Jaebum claps before he starts wolfing down his food. It’s not been long since Youngjae last ate, but he feels hungry just watching Jaebum and Mark moan as they chew and swallow. They must be even more famished than Youngjae thought, because they get halfway through their rice before Youngjae has eaten five mouthfuls of his.

 

“You can have some of mine if you’re that hungry,” Youngjae holds out his bowl.

 

“Thanks,” Jaebum smiles around a mouthful of meat and rice, holding out his bowl for Youngjae to heap rice into. “Mark,” Jaebum gestures with his head.

 

Mark squints at him for a moment, looking ridiculously cute with his cheeks protruding as he chews, before he rolls his eyes and holds out his bowl to Youngjae as well. Youngjae tries, and fails, to suppress a smile; food really is best enjoyed with company.

 

After they all finish eating, Jaebum jumps into the shower, leaving Youngjae and Mark with the dirty dishes. Youngjae stretches before he starts piling up the bowls, blinking in surprise when Mark follows suit. Mark flashes him a quick smile.

 

“I wash, you rinse?” Youngjae asks.

 

“Sure,” Mark hums.

 

They pass the time in silence, but it doesn’t feel oppressive or uncomfortable. Youngjae doesn’t have anything to say and he feels no compulsion to fill the void. He just washes the dishes before passing them to Mark, who rinses and even dries them. Normally Youngjae will eat directly from the pot just to reduce the amount of washing up he has to do after dinner, but today it’s actually not so bad.

 

“Your clothes should be ready to rinse now, Youngjae murmurs to himself as he hands Mark the last utensil. “Yeah, I’d say there’s not much more I can do,” Youngjae says as he inspects Mark’s t-shirt before he pours out the dirty, soapy water.

 

“You’ve done a lot already,” Mark calls out from the kitchen as Youngjae rinses the clothes and wrings them out, before hanging them up on the makeshift clothesline.

 

“So, what now?” Youngjae asks, swinging his arms as he heads back into the living room.

 

“Hmm, I dunno. It’s been a while since I was properly bored; whenever Jaebum and I aren’t on the move we’re simply too tired or too hungry or too scared,” Mark says pensively.

 

“What’s it like out there?” Youngjae breathes.

 

“It’s…kind of hard for me to describe, like explaining sight to someone who was born blind,” Mark waves his arms as he fumbles for the words. “Like, the world doesn’t really look too different compared how it was before, but your approach to day-to-day life is so much different. You don’t just mindlessly walk down streets, you’re constantly aware of where you are and what else might be lurking around the corner, you know?”

 

He doesn’t—not yet—but Youngjae nods anyway. “Have you ever met Jaebum’s friend?”

 

“I have, but I’ve never been to the place we’re heading to now. Simply getting there has been our goal for so long, I have no idea what’s going to happen when we finally get there,” Mark huffs a breath that slightly lifts the ends of his fringe.

 

“Is that your natural hair colour?” Youngjae tilts his head.

 

“This? No. Jaebum suggested I try it after my last relationship ended. It’s supposed to be representative of ‘starting over afresh’ or some bullshit,” Mark scoffs as he runs a hand through his hair. “I’m surprised it’s still so red now. I don’t mind it, but it’s odd to imagine myself with this colour forever.”

 

“That’s not so bad, there must be a couple of teenagers out there who might be looking at the prospect of having braces forever,” Youngjae laughs, his head thrown back and his mouth wide open.

 

Mark bursts out laughing too, his perfectly straight teeth all on display. Their laughter is interrupted by a loud moan.

 

“Ahhh my hair was such an oily mess before that bath. God, I have never felt so clean,” Jaebum groans happily, stretching his neck as he saunters out of the bathroom. “By the way, do you have somewhere I can wash these?” Jaebum holds up his bundle of dirty clothes.

 

“Yeah, the washroom is right through there,” Youngjae gestures to the right of the kitchen with his head. Jaebum nods and heads inside. Youngjae turns back to Mark to see the redhead raising an eyebrow at him. He’s staring at Youngjae with some kind of intent, but Youngjae doesn’t know what it is so he just blinks and shrugs. “What is it?”

 

“Nothing,” Mark snorts lightly.

 

“Well, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to do any laundry, but I figure our clothes should be dry by tomorrow. Depending on how long they take to dry, we’ll leave tomorrow at the earliest or the day after tomorrow at the latest,” Jaebum says as he reclines on the sofa again.

 

Youngjae’s mirth dies in his throat and his smile falls to the ground, his stomach following. “Right,” he mumbles before he excuses himself to drink some water.

 

He knew that they were only passing through, the two of them have said as much enough times, but Youngjae didn’t think it would be so soon, and he didn’t think he’d be this affected by it. Why should a few hours of company make him so terrified to be on his own again? Feeling panic bubbling up in his stomach, threatening to overtake him, Youngjae takes a few deep breaths before he gulps down the last of his water and stalks into the living room.

 

“I want to come with you,” Youngjae blurts out and two pairs of eyes turn to look at him. Youngjae takes a deep breath before he continues. “There’s nothing here for me. You two were the first people I’ve seen in weeks and I met you right after I first decided to go outside, it might sound stupid, but I believe that’s sign,” Youngjae plays with his fingers, looking down as his courage finally deserts him. He looks up when he hears the sound of footsteps coming towards him.

 

“If we do let you come with us, there are a couple of things you’re going to have to understand,” Jaebum says seriously before he starts counting off on his fingers. “Number one, you’re going to have to do exactly as a say, when I say it. Out there things can change in an instant; you reach a place where you thought you could rest and two minutes later there’s a horde of monsters tearing after you. I don’t need you questioning me and having it lead to all our deaths, you hear?”

 

Youngjae nods earnestly.

 

“Number two, you need something you can use as a weapon. I noticed you weren’t carrying one today, and apparently that almost got you killed,” Jaebum says pointedly. Youngjae feels his cheeks get warm. “Which leads me to my next point, you have to be able to keep a level head. You can’t go freezing up like that because one of us might not be able to save you next time.”

 

Youngjae gulps at the thought of what would’ve happened if Mark hadn’t been exactly where he was today. “Right,” he says breathlessly.

 

“Number four, my last point, is this: I am not your father; hell, I’m not even your friend. I’m not a completely cold-hearted bastard, but I am a survivor. I can’t speak for Mark, but if you ever end up in a situation where saving you would put my own life at risk, then I would not take that risk,” Jaebum says solemnly, his cold words contrasting with his blazing eyes. Youngjae can’t look at them for long.

 

“Am I understood?”

 

Youngjae nods, staring at his feet.

 

“I said, do you understand?”

 

“Yes, I understand,” Youngjae croaks, peeking up from under his eyelashes.

 

“Right,” Jaebum nods. “Well then, we should spend the rest of the day re-packing and then get some rest.” The heat recedes from Jaebum’s gaze and he pats Youngjae on the shoulder. “Are these your roommate’s clothes? They seem to be a bit bigger than the ones you gave Mark,” Jaebum mumbles curiously.

 

“They are,” Youngjae nods, forcing himself not to sound meek.

 

“Clothes are the least our concerns out there, but it couldn’t hurt to take a look at what else he’s got,” Jaebum says to himself before he heads off to Jackson’s room. Once he’s gone, Youngjae releases a long breath.

 

“Well done,” Mark speaks up; Youngjae jumps at the sound of his voice. “Jaebum does bite, but he’s mostly bark. I actually think he’s warming up to you.”

 

Youngjae raises his eyebrows.

 

“Is there anything in here that you could use to defend yourself?”

 

“Hmmm I don’t think so. At best, Jackson might have left behind one of his fencing sabres in his room,” Youngjae says pensively.

 

“That won’t do anyway. Fencing swords are used for jabbing, not slicing, and so they don’t have sharp edges, and you probably don’t have the muscle built up to use it efficiently,” Mark says dismissively.

 

Youngjae tries not to pout but can’t help the way his shoulders slump. As Mark turns away to comb through the place for something, Youngjae surreptitiously flexes his arms.

 

“There’s a pretty big knife in the kitchen that could be useful.”

 

Youngjae bites his lip at the thought of how close he’d have to get to one of those things to use it, but he tries to swallow his fear. “A knife sounds great,” his voice shakes a bit.

 

Mark tilts his head and blinks at him, but doesn’t call him out. “We could switch if you want, I’ll use the knife and you can use my bat.”

 

Youngjae’s mouth falls open a bit at the suggestion. “Really, you’d do that?”

 

“I’ve had a lot more practise in taking on those things, I’d better with the knife than you would and it doesn’t take too much skill to aim and swing a bat hard,” Mark shrugs.

 

“Thank you.” Youngjae gets the sudden urge to ask Mark if he would leave him to die like Jaebum says he would, but he swallows that question and instead heads off to his room to figure out what to take with him. He stops short when he hears the faint sound metallic clicking and turns to see the doorknob of the front door moving. He blinks hard, keeping his eyes shut for a few seconds before he opens them again. It’s not moving anymore. Before he can relax, he hears the sound of dull thumping against the door.


	2. Part two

Youngjae had considered the possibility of one of those things trying to get into his flat just before he left to scavenge for food, but even though he locked the door behind them, he honestly never thought it would happen. Maybe he unconsciously felt that Mark and Jaebum’s presence would ward them away, shielding his little haven. It sounds naïve even to his own ears; Jaebum was well within his rights to question Youngjae’s ability to adapt to the current world order. The thumping continues and Youngjae is just about to run to get Mark when he hears something unexpected—his name.

 

“Youngjae? Youngjae, are you in there? I’ve lost my keys…”

 

“Jackson!” Youngjae would be taken aback at how unfazed Jackson sounds—as if he just drooped his keys in somebody else’s car after a wild night out on the town—if he weren’t already reeling at the fact that he’s alive.

 

“Youngjae?! You’re here!” Youngjae can practically hear the older boy beam through the door.

 

“What’s going on?” Mark asks, but for once Youngjae ignores him, focusing on getting his hands to stop shaking so he can get the door unlocked.

 

The lock barely slides out before the door is swinging open and the breath is knocked out of Youngjae. A very familiar body crashes into his, and wrapping its arms around him and laughing gleefully into his ear. Youngjae wheezes out a laugh, his cheeks aching from smiling and his eyes squeezed shut to keep the tears from spilling out as he’s lifted off his feet and spun around.

 

“Oh my God, I can’t believe it!” Youngjae has never been so happy to hear Jackson’s high-pitched giggle. “Boy, am I glad to see you!” Jackson finally stops spinning him and puts him back on his feet, but doesn’t release his hold. He’s forced to though, when a bat is lowered between them, pushing Youngjae back before it’s turned on Jackson. As Youngjae stumbles back, hands reach out and grab his shoulders, stabilising him, but also keeping him in place.

 

“Strip,” Jaebum says curtly, gesturing to Jackson with the end of his bat.

 

“Oh wow, that’s a bit a forward isn’t it? We haven’t even exchanged names,” Jackson chuckles, but he raises his hands non-threateningly in front of his body.

 

“You’ve clearly had encounters while you were out there,” Jaebum says, his eyes darting over Jackson’s blood stained clothing. Youngjae blinks as he notices that Jackson is decked out in his fencing gear, his face mask lying by his feet. “I need to see that you’ve not been bitten. Now strip.”

 

“Why would I put Youngjae in danger by seeking him out if I had been bitten?” Jackson crosses his arms over his chest, all traces of mirth gone from his face.

 

“I’m not going to ask you again,” Jaebum says lowly, moving his bat significantly.

 

Youngjae makes to step forward, but is held back by Mark’s deceptively strong grip. Youngjae glances back at him in surprise, but Mark’s gaze is focused on Jackson.

 

“Just do what he says. We learnt this lesson once already,” Mark says plainly.

 

Jackson sighs and rolls his eyes, but thankfully he complies with their demand, tugging off his protective jacket, plastron, and the white t-shirt beneath it. He holds out his bare arms and turns around to display his back, pausing to flex his muscles. Youngjae can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of him at the sight. Jackson throws a grin and a wink over his shoulder at Youngjae’s reaction. Youngjae jumps a bit as Mark’s fingers press into his skin a bit harder.

 

“Pants next,” Jaebum says firmly.

 

Jackson smirks before he toes off his trainers and starts removing his breeches, slowly pulling down the shoulder straps. “If you thought my torso was impressive, just wait until you see my thighs. I’ll give you some time to prepare yourselves.” Jaebum frowns and tilts his head as Jackson pauses for a moment before he finally kicks off his pants, spins around in nothing but his socks and his underwear, and strikes a pose.

 

Jaebum ignores his theatrics, his eyes scanning the length of his body four times before he’s satisfied. “Alright, he’s clear.” Jaebum lowers his bat at last, but Mark keeps his hands on Youngjae’s shoulders.

 

“Don’t you need to see the rest?” Jackson asks with a sly grin, his thumbs dipping into the waistband of his underwear.

 

Jaebum’s eyes narrow like he’s seriously considering telling him to do it, but Mark speaks up first.

 

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

 

“Are you sure?” Jackson waggles his eyebrows.

 

“Weren’t you the one who was just complaining about having to strip before?” Jaebum asks in a bewildered voice.

 

Jackson shrugs innocently, a grin tugging at his lips until his eyes start to roam over Jaebum’s chest and then down the length of Jaebum’s body. “Those clothes you’re wearing, they look awfully familiar,” Jackson is frowning now.

 

“They should, they’re yours,” Jaebum says casually.

 

A vein jumps in Jackson’s neck.

 

“So, you went inside my room and stole some of my clothes?” Jackson bares his teeth in that forced smile he does when he’s trying not to lose his temper.

 

“No, Youngjae went inside your room and  _gave_  me some of your clothes.”

 

Jackson’s head swivels towards Youngjae who winces at the look on his face, stepping back to hide behind Mark with a mumbled apology.

 

“I was actually in your room just now trying to find something else to take, but I hadn’t made any headway yet,” Jaebum smiles blandly.

 

Jackson laughs lowly, his tongue stroking the inside of one cheek.

 

“Look, sorry for going through your stuff, dude, but we kind of thought that you wouldn’t need them anymore. If you’ve been out there for any amount of time, you should know what I mean,” Mark speaks up at last in his soothing deep voice, his hands held up in a pacifying manner.

 

“You know, I wasn’t sure of it before, but I think hear it now. Korean isn’t your first language right?” Jackson squints, a hand coming up to stroke his chin.

 

“Uh no, it’s English,” Mark says in English, blinking a bit.

 

“Cool, me too!” Jackson’s eyes light up as he bounces on the balls of his feet. “Well, not the first but I speak it well.”

 

“Um, that’s great, I guess,” Mark chuckles a bit, looking confused but also charmed despite himself. Youngjae can relate.

 

“What’s your name and where are you from?”

 

“Uh, Mark and L.A.”

 

“Mark saved my life earlier,” Youngjae pipes up.

 

“Did you? Oh wow. Thanks for looking out for Youngjae while I was gone,” Jackson steps up to Mark and pulls him into a tight hug, swinging him from side to side.

 

“And Jaebum helped!” Youngjae says, pointing to the man whose eyebrow has been climbing steadily higher into his hairline as the scene has progressed. Before Jaebum can open his mouth to deny it, Jackson is on him, pulling him into a hug too.

 

“Aww you like to come off as being Mr. Tough and Intimidating, but really you’re a good guy, aren’t you?” Jackson pats his back hard.

 

Jaebum jumps, trying to squirm out of his hold. Youngjae isn’t sure if it’s because Jackson is holding him so tightly or because Jackson is still dressed in nothing but underwear, socks, and a smile, or if it’s a combination of both. Eventually he just gives up and waits for Jackson to let go.

 

“So, what’s been going on while I was away?” Jackson asks as he finally releases Jaebum.

 

“Nothing much happened until today. Before that I was just here, bored and alone, but then I left to try and find some more food, got into trouble, and then got rescued,” Youngjae says with a hand wave at Mark and Jaebum. “Yeah, I just sat here doing nothing before; had nothing to do and no-one to talk to,” Youngjae mumbles, taking quick, deep breaths.

 

As the excitement from their reunion wears off, it weighs on Youngjae’s heart now just how much he was certain that he wasn’t going to see Jackson again. It’s ridiculous to be upset now that he can see that the other man is physically fine and as spirited as he ever was, but knowing that doesn’t stop water form gathering in his eyes or leaking out his nose.

 

“Hey, what’s—?” Jackson’s question stops short as Youngjae crashes into him, burying his face in Jackson’s neck, his hands grabbing at his back. Youngjae feels Jackson flinch when his tears start trickling down his bare skin.

 

“Hey, it’s alright. I’m alright. Did you miss me that much? Sorry it took so long for me to come back. It must’ve been so dull without me, but I’m back now,” Jackson whispers soothingly into his ear, his hands coming up to hold Youngjae and stroke his back.

 

Even if Youngjae wanted to speak, the mucous building up in his throat has sealed the words in, so he just leas on Jackson, sobbing and sniffing into his neck.

 

“It’s alright, I’m here now.”

 

 

 

 

Youngjae’s eyes ache as he blinks groggily, a dull throbbing in his head making him groan as he sits up. For a second he doesn’t know where he is, but a few blinks later he starts to recognise the framed high school diploma on the wall, the small wooden bookcase and the duvet that covers the lower half of his body; he’s in his bedroom. Youngjae blinks and frowns in confusion. How did he go from an unlikely reunion with Jackson to falling asleep in his room? Calling on his memory, images of grabbing Jackson and weeping into his shoulder slowly filter through his mind. Did he really cry himself to sleep? Like a goddamned baby?

 

“Really? How humiliating!” Youngjae groans while flopping backwards onto his bed. As he lies there, sounds from the next room squeeze their way through the space under his door, their broken fragments floating up into his ears. He can’t make out any words, but he does hear what sounds like laughter. More sound bursts into the room as the door creaks open. Youngjae sits up to see two brown eyes peeking through the crack.

 

“Oh, you’re awake,” Mark notes, pushing the door open wider.

 

“Uh, yeah,” Youngjae croaks as he rubs his face, partially to rub the last traces of sleep out of his eyes and partially to wipe away any remaining tear trails.

 

“What happened while I was…out? Things were a bit awkward as far as I remember, but it seems like that’s all been smoothed over,” Youngjae says as Jackson’s high-pitched giggle bounces into his bedroom.

 

Mark’s lips quirk up before he enters the room, closing the door behind him.

 

“Oh wow, it’s pretty dark in here with the curtains drawn. Would you mind opening them?” Mark asks as Youngjae listens to him fumble his way over to Youngjae’s bed.

 

“Um, okay,” Youngjae bites his lip.

 

Grabbing hold of the curtain, he pulls it to the side. Enough light filters into the room to make Mark’s trip easier than before, but not as much as Youngjae would expect for—a quick glance at his watch—twenty minutes past eleven in the morning. The sky overhead is completely grey, a light shower of rain dripping down from the heavens, clouds hanging heavily in the sky like a wet sponge that will release a flood water if someone squeezes it. It’s the kind of rain that’s reminiscent of Chinese water torture. Youngjae turns back as he feels the bed dip.

 

“You don’t have to be ashamed, you know,” Mark says as he sits down. “No-one thinks any lesser of you for, you know,” Mark waves his hand in the general direction of Youngjae’s face. Youngjae can’t help but cringe and drop his gaze. As kind as he’s being about his emotional outburst, Youngjae would’ve preferred that he pretend it didn’t happen. Mark is either really perceptive or telepathic because he drops the issue and answers Youngjae’s question.

 

“Not a whole lot has happened. It’s just been Jackson firing questions at us and Jaebum scurrying to answer them.

 

“They seem to be getting along,” Youngjae notes as more fragmented laughter slips under his door.

 

“Yeah, your, uh, roommate is very…personable,” Mark chuckles.

 

Youngjae beams back at him. “I know, right? He makes it so easy love him.”

 

Mark’s smile falters for a second before it’s back full-force. “Right. Well, I’m happy for you. That you were, uh, able to find each other,” he nods and pats Youngjae on the arm before he eases himself off Youngjae’s bed. Youngjae follows after him, stretching as he pads into the living room.

 

“Youngjae, you’re awake!” Jackson grins, holding out an arm. He’s freshly showered and dressed in a black shirt and baggy black pants. Youngjae automatically folds himself into Jackson’s side and lays his head on the older man’s shoulder.

 

“So, Jaebum’s been telling me that you mean to push off with him and Mark.”

 

Youngjae sits up, with a jolt. “Um, well, that was before I knew you were, you know–”

 

“Relax, don’t look so panicked. I’m coming too,” Jackson laughs as he rests a hand on Youngjae’s head and pushes back down to rest on his shoulder.

 

“Oh,” Youngjae blinks, the tension vanishing out of his as quickly as it materialised.

 

“Yeah, Jaebum already went through the drill. Blah, blah, do what I say. Blah, blah, you need a weapon. Blah, blah, call me ‘Daddy’.” 

 

“I never said that!” Jaebum chokes out, his face reddening.

 

“Dude, do you  _ever_  listen to yourself? You may as well have ‘Master’ tattooed across your forehead,” Jackson chuckles.

 

“Shut up,” Jaebum snaps without any real heat.

 

“Yes, Master,” Jackson simpers.

 

Jaebum narrows his eyes and presses his lips together, but that doesn’t stop the corner of his mouth form turning up.

 

“Haha, you kinky bastard!” Jackson cackles.

 

Youngjae can’t help but laugh at the look on Jaebum's face. It’s almost weird to remember that not too long ago he was nearly pissing himself in fear as Jaebum loomed over him.

 

“You know I think I saw something in your room that I’d like to spit on. Excuse me for a moment,” Jaebum drawls as he marches over to jackson’s room.

 

“That is so not funny, Jaebum. I mean it. Don’t you dare, asshole!” Jackson jumps up and chases after him. 

 

Youngjae’s smile falters as he notices the dark look on Mark’s face. 

 

“Hey, are you alright?”

 

“What? Yeah, I’m fine,” Mark blinks, his expression clearing.

 

“You looked really upset though,” Youngjae says unsurely.

 

“It’s just…Doesn’t it upset you? To see Jackson flirt so openly with Jaebum?” Mark mumbles under his breath, glancing over at Jackson’s bedroom door.

 

“No, of course not. Why would it upset me?” Youngjae chuckles.

 

Somehow Mark looks even more confused at his answer. “You mean you…?” Mark’s eyes dart between Youngjae and Jackson’s door.

 

“We?” Youngjae tilts his head.

 

“Never mind,” Mark mumbles, shaking his head.

 

“When are we planning to shove out, by the way?” Jackson asks as he waddles back into the living room, Jaebum perched on his back.

 

Mark’s eye twitches as he watches Jackson deposit Jaebum backwards onto the sofa, shifting around as he leans his full weight back on the other man. Mark’s mouth is turning down until he glances back at Youngjae and his face clears.

 

“I was thinking tomorrow or the day after,” comes Jaebum’s slightly muffed voice.

 

“What if it’s still raining?” Jackson asks with the hint of a whine in his voice.

 

“So long as it’s not heavy, I’d say we leave anyway. Having a roof over my head and a soft, warm place to sleep is nice, but I don’t want to dally when there’s someplace even better out there.”

 

“Your friend’s place had better be good, Jaebum, with the way you keep gassing it up,” Jackson pouts as he leans his head back and rubs his hair in Jabeum’s face.

 

“At any rate this place would only be a viable hideout for so long. In the city we’d have to be constantly scavenging for preserved food, putting ourselves at risk each time we head out. Not to mention, we could end up boxed in here if enough of those things found us,” Mark speaks up.

 

“What are we going to do about food at your friend’s place?”

 

“We’d have the land to grow food and animals to hunt.”

 

“Until the winter, which is quickly approaching by the way. Hey!” Jackson yelps as he’s pushed off the sofa.

 

“Do remember that I never invited to come with us; you invited yourself. You could always un-invite yourself if you think our plan is that stupid,” Jaebum snaps.

 

“I never said it was stupid, I just don’t think there’s any point in going along with a plan if you haven’t mulled over all its weak points,” Jackson blinks up at Jaebum with a shrug.

 

“Fair enough,” Jaebum mutters, chewing on the inside of his cheek.

 

“It’s barely noon, but how are sleeping arrangements going to work? There are four of us but only two beds and one sofa,” Mark speaks up. “Should we draw lots or something?”

 

“Mark and Jaebum can play for the sofa, but there’s no way I’m giving up my bed,” Jackson says fiercely wagging his finger at the three of them.

 

“One of you can have my bed,” Youngjae says.

 

“Are you sure?” Mark asks.

 

“Yeah, I’m sure. While the three of you have been sleeping rough I’ve done nothing but sleep for the last few weeks. I should probably get used to sleeping on the floor from now on anyway,” Youngjae shrugs.

 

“Mark and Jaebum, you play for Youngjae’s bed,” Jackson says.

 

“Eh, Jaebum should have the bed. He’s missed more sleep than me,” Mark shrugs.

 

“Thanks,” Jaebum’s lips quirk up. Mark nods.

 

“That was anti-climactic,” Jackson sighs.

 

“There’ll be plenty of drama out there, no point in starting it now,” Mark leans over and flicks Jackson’s forehead.

 

Jackson looks up with a maniacal grin. “Ah~You initiated contact~” he says in a sing-song voice before he jumps up and tackles a bewildered looking Mark to the floor. “You’ve been so quiet and you play your cards so close to your chest, but this whole time you’ve wanted me to play with you too, right?” Jackson laughs as he pins Mark with one hand and wiggles the fingers of his other hand up and down Mark’s side.

 

“Alright, that’s enough. Let him go,” Jaebum drawls from the sofa.

 

Jackson pouts, but complies, sitting back to let Mark catch his breath.

 

“Are you just like this with everyone?” Mark laughs while shaking his head.

 

“Everyone I like,” Jackson says plainly.

 

“Okay, alright,” Mark pats Jackson on the shoulder before he rolls out from under him. Youngjae doesn’t know what it is about that exchange that has soothed Mark’s troubled mind, but from then on he stops making constipated faces at Jackson whenever he thinks no-one’s watching him.

 

“So, what now?” Jackson asks while cracking his knuckles.

 

“I guess we just continue going through what’s in here and pack for when we head out,” Mark says with a glance at Jaebum, who nods, getting up off the sofa.

 

“Wait, I need to be there if you’re going to go through my stuff,” Jackson scampers to his feet before he chases after Jaebum.

 

“Looks like it’s you and me,” Mark smiles.

 

“Right.” Youngjae feels his face warm up. “Well, you’re the expert, what do you suggest I pack?”

 

“A blanket, definitely.  Also, you ought to layer your clothing to maximise space and protect you from the elements seeing as how it’s getting colder. Uh, we should bring whatever food and water we can carry, and I guess things like knives and matches round out the essentials.”

 

Youngjae stares at all the clothes he has, all the clothes he could fit into two suitcases, and he tries to decide which the warmest ones are. Eventually his mind starts to wander and his gaze drifts over to his bookcase. Even though he complained about having nothing new to read, he is tempted to take at least one novel with him. He shakes himself and focuses on the essentials; he’s not packing for a holiday and he has no idea if he’d even have the time to read anyway.

 

“Problem?” Mark asks from where he’s sitting on the bed.

 

“Uh, I guess I’m just worried about having to defend myself when I get out there,” Youngjae lies. He’d feel embarrassed to tell Mark the real reason for his hesitance, and he’s humiliated himself in front of Mark enough times for one day. “Like, a bat is easy to use, but I’ve never used it to attack someone before.”

 

“They’re not people, Youngjae. Not anymore.”

 

Youngjae chews on the inside of his bottom lip. “Maybe, but either way I still don’t know how to kill them.”

 

“It’s simple. You just make sure you hold the bat tightly in your hands, keep it cocked back so you can bring it down or around in a swing in an instant, wait until you’re within arm’s length before you swing, and—this is vital—make sure you aim for the head. They don’t die if their brains aren’t destroyed.”

 

Youngjae runs all that through his mind. It’s not exactly rocket science, but it’s hard not to get hung up on little details when it could mean the difference between life and death.

 

“Look, let me show you,” Mark gets off the bed and stands behind Youngjae, his hands lifting Youngjae’s arms into position. “Hands like this, holding the end of the bat.”

 

Youngjae jumps a bit as the other man’s warm breath puffs against his ears, shifting the fine hair around it.

 

“Something’s coming toward you right now. It’s getting closer, closer, it’s five steps away, almost, and…Now!” Mark swings his arms forward so hard Youngjae is forced to take a step forward.

 

“I’d advise you to stick with downward swings for now, they’re more likely to get it in one shot than a side hit,” Mark says, still pressed against Youngjae.

 

“Right. Thanks,” Youngjae breathes.

 

“Um, I should go make sure Jackson and Jaebum haven’t killed each other,” Mark says as he slowly lets go of Youngjae’s arms and backs out of the room.

 

“Right. I’ll keep packing,” Youngjae nods, rubbing absently at his forearms.

 

 

 

 

That evening, as the sun sets, Youngjae makes a makeshift bed on the living room floor with his blankets. In the end it still feels like he’s sleeping on the floor, but at least he’s not cold and he still has his pillow.

 

“You heading to bed already?” Mark asks as he throws a pillow and a blanket on the sofa.

 

“There’s not much else to do is there, especially when you can’t even see.”

 

“I know! We should tell horror stories,” Jackson grins as he bounces onto the sofa, knocking Mark’s pillow off.

 

“No need for stories when you could just look out a window. The entire world is a horror story,” Jaebum snorts derisively.

 

“Oh, don’t be so maudlin,” Jackson aims a kick at his leg.

 

“Who’s maudlin?” Jaebum blocks his kick with his arm and aims his own strike at Jackson.

 

“I’m not really in the mood for horror stories.” The last thing Youngjae wants to do is psyche himself out. “I think I will just try to sleep.”

 

Three heads turn towards Jackson at the sound of a single clap.

 

“You know what, now that I think about it, I actually don’t feel for horror stories either. I just thought of something  _much_  better to do. Good night!” Jackson skips off to his room and shuts his door behind him.

 

“Okay then. Well, I had a nap earlier, but I’m still tired, and it’s probably best to get as much rest as possible now, so I’m gonna turn in as well. See you in the morning,” Jaebum waves as he heads in the opposite direction to Youngjae’s room.

 

After Jaebum leaves, Mark and Youngjae are left in silence in the living room. Youngjae flops onto his ‘bed’, laying his head on his pillow and watching as the deep orange light first turns bright purple then morphs into a deep blue that darkens until he can’t see the light fixture hanging above him anymore.

 

“Mark?” he whispers in the dark.

 

“Yeah?” Mark’s breathing has been slow and even but his voice lacks any grogginess.

 

“What’s L.A. like?”

 

“It’s amazing really,” Mark sighs.

 

“I hear there are nice beaches there.”

 

“‘Nice’ is an understatement. When I lived there, I went to the beach all the time and I never got tired of it. The water was always cool and clear, a nice contrast to the muggy heat in the air.”

 

“Did you ever go surfing on the waves?”

 

“I tried, but I wasn’t very good at it. I could barely get my feet on the board,” Mark laughs quietly. “No, skateboarding was my stereotypical Cali-boy sport.”

 

“How can you be good at skateboarding, but bad at surfing?” Youngjae asks incredulously.

 

“They’re not  _exactly_  the same you know. A surfboard is much more slippery than a skateboard and the ground doesn’t move like it has a mind of its own the way the sea does.”

 

“You think we could find a skateboard out there?” Youngjae asks, his eyelids feeling heavier and heavier.

 

“Yeah, maybe,” Mark yawns. “I could show you some of my tricks.”

 

“And take me for a ride,” Youngjae mumbles, his eyes falling closed.

 

“I don’t think a board is strong enough to carry the both of us…”

 

“Figure it out,” Youngjae murmurs, already asleep.

 

 

 

 

Although he’s not much of a morning person, Youngjae ends up being the first one awake the next morning. He carefully eases himself to his feet, smiling to himself as he glances down at Mark who’s sleeping with his cheek pressed to the sofa, his mouth slightly open. After he brushes his teeth, he heads over to the window and checks the sky. It’s cloudy and grey, but it’s not raining. Youngjae sighs, not sure if the churning in his stomach is hunger, dread, or anticipation.

 

When it’s finally time to leave, Youngjae spends his last few minutes in the apartment just walking around, his hand idly brushing furniture and books and light fixtures and sinks and all the other things he used as an anchor for normality. They might take shelter in some other place that also has these things, but they won’t be Youngjae’s things or Jackson’s things. He’s already mourning the loss for running water and a nice soft bed, and the security of being able to sleep at night without fear of being attacked.

 

“You having second thoughts?” Mark’s soft voice floats into his ears from the doorway to Youngjae’s room.

 

“No,” Youngjae shakes his head. As much as Youngjae is going to miss this dingy little box of an apartment, he can’t bear to stay here anymore either. It’s time he went over the top and crossed no man’s land.

 

“Come on then, it’s time to go,” Mark beckons.

 

Youngjae closes the door behind him with one last glance inside. Jackson and Jaebum are outside already, making sure that the staircase is clear. Youngjae is the last person to leave, locking the door behind him, taping a note to it, and slipping the key underneath the mat in front of the door.


	3. Part three

Without any gas or electricity for heating the inside of the flat was quite cool, but outside the air is cold enough to burn his lungs. Youngjae's breath comes out in short puffs, making a whistling sound as he does, and his chest tightens. Mark’s arm around his back steadies him while Jackson fishes a black face mask out of his side pocket and fits it over Youngjae’s nose and mouse, adjusting his scarf for good measure. The mask is an immediate help and Youngjae smiles behind it, hoping his eyes are pushed up enough for Jackson to see his appreciation.

 

“See, we match.” Youngjae can see the white flash of Jackson’s teeth behind the wire mesh of his fencing mask.

 

Fortunately for them, they don’t have any encounters with any more creatures until drawing breath isn’t painful for Youngjae anymore, and there are so few of them that Jaebum and Jackson take care of them on their own. The rest of the day is relatively uneventful, spent creeping quickly through the streets, periodically darting into alleys and looking out for anywhere that possibly has supplies that they could scavenge. The tension in Jaebum’s entire body is clearly visible even from Youngjae’s position at the back, his bat clenched tightly in his left hand and slung over his left shoulder while his eyes dart between the map in his right hand and the road in front of him. Jackson’s face is obscured, but his shoulders are relaxed and even as he uses his fencing steps to shuffle along quickly, there’s a palpable aura of ease around him. Mark has one hand holding the shoulder strap of his bag and the other hand resting on the handle of the knife holstered on his hip, his face relaxed as he glances into every side street they pass. All in all, Youngjae can’t quite tell from their demeanour if this is a normal day on the outside or just a fortunate outlier. He spends his first night on the outside holed up inside a small florist shop that’s stacked with rows and rows of wilted plants, clumps of dirt and clay pieces scattered across the floor. Jaebum claims first watch, but Jackson offers to take it instead, citing the bags under Jaebum’s eyes and the fact that the navigator should be well-rested, least they get lost or go off course.

 

“Besides, I’m too keyed up to sleep anyway,” Jackson shrugs, running a hand through his hair.

 

Jaebum stares at him, narrowing his eyes.

 

“Look, man, I survived out here for a couple of weeks all on my own. I can do this,” Jackson says beseechingly as he leans forward, staring Jaebum down until he looks away with a sigh. “Good, now get some rest,” Jackson grins.

 

Jaebum is lightly snoring within minutes, but Youngjae spends about half an hour rearranging his bag, trying to make it comfortable enough to rest his head on. Failing at that, he folds his arm under his head and rests on that instead, turning over to his other side when his arm goes numb and an uncomfortable tingling sensation ripples through his entire hand.

 

“Having trouble sleeping?”

 

Youngjae turns to look at Mark beside him and nods.

 

“What I do is close my eyes, breathe slowly and deeply, and imagine something nice that I’d like to dream about.”

 

Youngjae blinks before he rolls onto his stomach, propping his head on his folded arms and doing as Mark says. There are so many wonderful things that he takes turns focusing on—graduating from university with his family cheering him on, feasting on his grandmother’s cooking once more, the last Chuseok he got to celebrate—but in the end he ends up sitting by the seaside, laughing as he watches Jackson and Jaebum embroiled in a heated game of beach football. He looks up as a shadow is cast in front of him and he’s shielding from the blinding rays of the sun. Mark who is dripping wet stands above him with two ice cream cones in hand, holding one out to Youngjae. 

 

“This is the one you like, right? Hurry up, it’s already melting,” he chuckles.

 

Youngjae reaches for his cone, licking a lime green trail off the back of Mark’s hand. “Mmmm, it’s delicious,” he winks.

 

“Ugh, get off me! You’re getting sand in my luscious hair!” Jackson groans as he and Jaebum roll around in the sand.

 

Youngjae laughs at their antics until he's left gasping while he tries to eat his ice cream. When he’s done he stretches before he lies on his back, closing his eyes and enjoying the sun beating down on his chest. After a long moment of soaking up the delicious warmth, Youngjae is cast into the shade once more.

 

“Youngjae?”

 

He flinches slightly as Mark’s whispered breath tickles the shell of his ear.

 

“Mmm what?” Youngjae mumbles groggily.

 

“Time to wake up.”

 

Youngjae’s eyes open a crack and he sees Mark leaning over him. Awareness is trickling back to his mind, but not quick enough to prevent confusion at his surroundings.

 

“Did you have a nice dream?” Mark asks with a smile as he lightly taps Youngjae's chest.

 

“Mmm yeah. I did.”

 

 

 

 

A few more uneventful days pass as they make their way to the outskirts of the city. Youngjae notices more and more vehicles–and bodies–filling the streets as they continue on. At last, they arrive at the beginning to the motorway that should lead them right to their destination.

 

“Aww shit,” Jaebum kisses his teeth as he stares at the two dozen or so creatures stumbling around just ahead of them, bumping into the cars that choke the motorway.

 

“What’s the problem? There’s like two dozen one of them and three of us, they’re not exactly fast, and we’ve got the element of surprise. We can take ‘em,” Jackson says confidently.

 

Youngjae blinks as he suddenly realises what Jackson just insinuated. “Hey!”

 

It’s not like he thinks of himself as some great fighter, but Jackson didn’t have to put it like  _that_.

 

“Alright, it’s two dozen versus three plus Youngjae,” Jackson corrects with a cheeky grin and a gleam in his eyes. Youngjae sticks out his tongue at him.

 

“I’d rather not engage unless I absolutely have to, but it looks like we have to,” Jaebum sighs as he folds up his map and puts it back in his bag. “Alright, let’s go.”

 

As if they rehearsed it, Jackson, Jaebum and Mark dart forward in unison, slipping around cars, moving quickly yet quietly. Youngjae finds himself left behind, able to do nothing but gape at their dexterity. He bites his bottom lip before he starts to creep forward as well, a lot slower and clumsier than the others. As much as he’s undeniably the weakest link in this group and they probably don’t expect much from him anyway, Youngjae still wants to pull a bit of his own weight, wants to prove to Jaebum that he wasn’t wrong to let him come along with them.

 

The three of them are swinging and slashing at most of the creatures before he even makes it over to where they are, but a couple of stragglers start to hobble in his direction as his bat knocks against an open car door. Youngjae stops short and stands straight up, taking a deep breath and wiping his hands on his jeans before he wraps his hands tightly around the end of the bat and holds it over his shoulder in the same stance he's seen Jaebum take.

 

“Come on!” he yells, sounding a lot more confident than he feels. 

 

The one closest to him, a teenaged boy still dressed in his school uniform, lunges at him with a lot more speed than Youngaje anticipated. Fear pushing Mark’s lesson out of his mind, Youngjae starts to swing wildly before the boy even gets anywhere near him. Luckily, Youngjae manages to clip him on the side of his head, which is enough to stun him and send him stumbling to the side and falling on top of an overturned motorcycle, but isn’t nearly enough to kill him. The other one, an old man with one leg who is naked for some reason, hops determinedly towards him. Youngjae manages to take enough deep breaths to make himself calm enough to wait for the old man to get close before he swings this time.  _Thwack!_ He gets a solid hit, the partially decomposed head bursting like a piñata. He hits him so hard that the bat goes flying out of his hands, bouncing against the ground a good distance away with a metallic  _clink!_

 

“No! Why?! Nonononono,” he moans, gripping the sides of his head.

 

He has no time to recover it; the teenaged boy is on his feet again, stumbling towards Youngjae once more. Youngjae freezes; he’s too scared to even breathe. Déjà vu hits as the thing gets right in front of him, but this time no-one is going to save him. He has to do it himself!

 

Just before the boy can sink his teeth into Youngjae’s flesh, Youngjae is shrugging his bag off his back and stuffing it into its mouth with a hard shove. Before he even hits the ground, Youngjae is tearing away in the general direction of where he saw his bat land, hissing in pain as his arms slam into car doors and his toes are stubbed by the refuse that lines the street. He throws a glance over his shoulder; the boy is on his feet again and stumbling towards him. Youngjae turns back around just in time to be sent tumbling to the ground as his foot catches on something hard. He shakes his head as he sits up, his bat swimming in his vision right in front of him. 

 

 _Yar!_  

 

The boy is only a few feet away! Youngjae dives for it, scrambling to bring it up right as the boy is lunging for him. Youngjae flinches as he feels the force of the body crashing into him. For a long moment he doesn’t move or breathe, but then he slowly opens his eyes when the sound of applause reaches his ears.

 

“Well done,” Mark claps, looking proud and slightly out of breath.

 

Youngjae’s pulse quickens at the look Mark is giving him before it skyrockets as he sees the impaled face of the dead boy.

 

“Oh God!” he leaps to his feet, dropping the bat out of his hands.

 

“For a second I thought I was going to have to come to your rescue again, but you pulled it off,” Mark leans down and pulls the bat out of the thing’s head before handing it back to Youngjae. “Come on, let’s head back,” Mark nods his head to where Jaebum and Jackson are waiting before he wraps an arm around Youngjae’s shoulder and walks him forward.

 

“Six! I managed to kill six of them. What about you, Jaebum?” Jackson calls out as he pulls off his fencing mask and wipes his forehead with the back of his hand.

 

“It’s not a competition,” Jaebum bristles.

 

“Haha you got less than me didn’t you?” Jackson cackles at Jaebum’s back as he starts moving forward again. “Youngjae, Mark, where did you two disappear to?”

 

Youngjae shrugs vaguely trying not to look panicked. His heartbeat has slowed down a bit on the walk back, but it’s still slightly elevated and his voice would probably crack if he tried to speak.

 

“Actually! I also killed six of them,” Jaebum swings his bat, an arc of blood splashing on the ground.

 

“Hmm really? Well, I guess it’s a tie this time,” Jackson mumbles out the side of his mouth.

 

Youngjae copies Jaebum’s swing, but he pouts when the blood doesn’t come off half as neatly as it did for the other man. Mark holds out his hand for it and Youngjae passes it to him, watching as he gets the rest of the excess blood off.

 

“Thanks,” Youngjae smiles. Mark returns the smile.

 

“I hate ties. I refuse to accept a tie.”

 

Glancing to his side, Youngjae sees Mark roll his eyes at Jackson and Jaebum’s bickering, but the smile is still on his face For his part Youngjae only managed a paltry two, but he tries not to feel bad about it considering this was only his second encounter with the living dead and it’s a marked improvement from the last time. Speaking of which.

 

“Mark, how many did you get?”

 

“Me? I got seven,” he says as he digs through his bag for a painkiller for Youngjae.

 

Jackson groans.

 

“Ha, so we win,” Jaebum crows triumphantly.

 

“We?! What do you mean ‘ _we_ ’? There are no teams in this, that wasn’t part of the deal!” Jackson exclaims incredulously, as if the aforementioned deal exists anywhere but inside his own mind. “And I refuse to be on the same team as Youngjae!”

 

“Hey, what’s wrong with being on a team with me? I’m doing well for a beginner,” Youngjae sulks.

 

“I’ll be on a team with you,” Mark offers, leaning over to companionably bump their shoulders together. Youngjae perks up a bit.

 

“Well, in that case we win, Jaebum.  _We are the champions_!” Jackson sings, throwing an arm around Jaebum’s neck. Jaebum shakes his head with a laugh, looking equal parts confused and amused.

 

“Volume,” Mark says prudently with a pointed look at their surroundings.

 

“Right, sorry,” Jackson says sheepishly. Beat. “You’re still losers though,” he says in a stage whisper over his shoulder, a smirk pulling at his lips. Mark rolls his eyes so hard that Youngjae is worried they’ll get stuck with the whites out, but he doesn’t say anything else. 

 

Ahead of them the road stretches far beyond their eyes can see. Save for the slight breeze rustling the leaves of the tree lining the shoulder of the motorway and the slow swaying of the dead in the distance, everything is so still that Youngjae feels like he’s stepped into a photograph. The contrast of the unending line of cars and no-one inside them is so eerie. Youngjae tries to think of the motorway as an enormous car park, but that’s belied by the numerous open car doors and patches of blood that stain the tarmac. Youngjae shivers. He sees a sleeping baby, safely nestled inside her car seat in the back of a silver Prius, her mother brushing her hair out of her eyes while her father struggles with the GPS. In the passenger seat of a red i20, a teenage boy taps his crossed feet on the dashboard, music blasting in his ears, his head buried in a comic book. At a red light, a harried salary man leans his hand out the window of his black Optima and taps the ash off the end of his cigarette, cursing under his breath about being passed up again for a long-promised promotion.

 

“Hey, don’t.”

 

Youngjae jumps. Jaebum is standing next to him, a warm and heavy hand resting on his shoulder.

 

“I know what you’re thinking about, and you need to stop. You’ll do nothing but drive yourself mad. Remember what I said about keeping a level head?”

 

Youngjae nods, taking deep, slow breaths.

 

“Well, I wasn’t just talking about being attacked,” Jaebum pats his shoulder few times, shifting his hand to the middle of Youngjae’s back and giving him a push forward.

 

As Youngjae makes up the distance between him and the others, his head turns slightly to the right, a child’s shoe catching his eye. Jaebum's hand shifts to the back of neck, moving his head.

 

“See nothing but the horizon,” Jaebum says intently, his fingers pressing into Youngjae’s neck.

 

Youngjae nods; he can do that.

 

 

 

 

As they trudge on, one thing that niggles at the back of Youngjae’s mind is how bizarrely empty the world seems to be now. Surely the four of them can’t be the only people left alive in all of South Korea. How is it that they haven’t run into another group of people, whether they are hunting for food or seeking out shelter or running for their lives? The world now has had a very surreal quality to it, but now more than ever, Youngjae feels like he’s trapped inside a video game.

 

“What’s on your mind?” Mark asks softly.

 

“Any problems back there?” Jaebum asks, throwing a glance over his shoulder.

 

“No, not really, it’s just…it feels kinda weird that we haven’t run into anyone else yet. Well, anyone still alive I mean,” Youngjae says as he rubs at the back of his neck.

 

“People are out there, it’s probably for the best that they haven’t noticed us or are staying away if they have,” Jaebum says before he turns back to his map.

 

“Why’s that?” Youngjae blinks. “Don’t more hands to help carry the weight lessen each individual person’s load?”

 

“That’s a very Korean thing of you to say,” Mark says lightly.

 

“If the case then Jaebum should be agreeing with me, but he’s not,” Youngjae points out.

 

“Youngjae, you’ve not been doing a bad job in adapting, but there are a lot of things that you haven’t experienced yet,” Jaebum turns back again, looking ten years older than he did a second ago.

 

Youngjae blinks in surprise. “What about you, Jackson?” he asks with furrowed brows.

 

“A little wariness certainly doesn’t hurt nowadays, but at the end of the day I still believe in people,” Jackson says seriously. “Besides it’s not like you’ve completely given up on people either, Jaebum. You and Mark could’ve robbed Youngjae and left him with nothing to eat, or simply left him for dead when he got attacked, but you helped him and decided to let him come with you to the shelter you were seeking. That’s not how people act when they’ve lost all hope.”

 

“…I’m not going to say you’re right, but I will say that that’s a much deeper comment than I had come to expect from you,” Jaebum admits after a long silence has passed.

 

“I’m not just a pretty face,” Jackson says with a smirk.

 

“Yeah, I guess I can give you that much,” Jaebum mumbles out the side of his mouth. Jackson grins.

 

Youngjae’s glad whatever little spark of conflict he’d generated from his questions has been extinguished. It’s only been about two weeks since he’s met Mark and Jaebum, but Youngjae is already deeply attached to them, and of course Jackson is indispensable. He can’t really imagine their group with more people, but he’s learning to adapt with each new day and he can’t help but hope they run into someone else soon, if only to restore a tiny bit of Jaebum’s faith in people. He gets his wish three days later, but you know what they say about wishes.

 

“How much distance have we covered already and how much longer do we left to go, Mr. Navigator?” Jackson asks Jaebum as they’re turning off on an exit.

 

“Don’t think that just changing the wording means that you’re not asking ‘Are we there yet?’’” Jaebum says the last part of the sentence in a high-pitched, nasally voice.

 

“And who’s that supposed to be? I don’t sound like that,” Jackson snorts.

 

“I used to love autumn, but the late sunrise and early nightfall are really prolonging this journey,” Jaebum sighs in frustration as he squints at the map in already the dwindling sunlight.

 

“You think it might be worth the risk to keep travelling even after it gets dark?” Mark asks.

 

“Hmmm, no. We’ve hardly got anything to light our way and the last thing we need is to walk right into a herd because we couldn’t see it until we got ripped to pieces.”

 

“I think we’d hear them before we saw them,” Jackson says before he groans hauntingly, “But I see your point.”

 

“And yet you must still argue against it.”

 

“Of course!”

 

Youngjae bites down hard on his lip as he trudges forward with stiff steps. It won’t be too long until they’ll have to stop for the night, and it wouldn’t take more than a minute to put him out of his misery, but he made a pledge to himself from day one not to hold the group back, even for something as trivial as that, so he clenches he teeth and keeps putting one foot in front of the other.

 

“Hey, is something wrong?” Mark asks with a concerned look as he slows his steps to fall beside Youngjae.

 

“Not really,” Youngjae says stiffly.

 

“That’s not what it looks like. Come on, you can tell me,” Mark reaches out and lays a hand on Youngjae’s shoulder. Youngjae can feel the warmth of his hand even through the layers he’s wearing. That combined with the soft look in Mark’s chestnut brown eyes makes him want to tell Mark anything he wants to hear, but the somewhat embarrassing nature of his issue makes him hold his tongue.

 

“Come on, Youngjae. Spit it out,” Jaebum says flatly, stopping to give him an unimpressed look.

 

“Um, it’s just that I, uh, I kind of need to go,” Youngjae mumbles, feeling his face heat up, trying not to look at Mark, but catching himself staring at the other man in his peripheral vision.

 

“Just be quick about it,” Jaebum says with a jerk of his head.

 

Youngjae nods and runs off into the trees, careful not to go too deep, but mindful of the fact that the others are quite close by. The feeling of relief that hits him as he finally has his release makes him wobble on his feet. “Ahhhhhh,” he sighs happily, regaining enough his senses just in time to bite down a moan before it can slip out of his mouth. He’s so distracted that he doesn’t pay any mind to the rustling of the leaves on the ground and the crunching of sticks and stones.

 

“You…”

 

“Ah!” Youngjae jumps at the gravely voice, urine splashing on his shoes. “Oh, uh, hello?” Youngjae quickly shakes off the last drops and tucks himself back into his pants, feeling mortified that getting caught with his pants down.

 

The man just stares at him with glazed eyes.

 

“Uh, are you okay?” Youngjae asks nervously, trying to keep his voice calm and even.

 

“Youngjae, what happened?” Jaebum comes bursting through the foliage, bat in hand.

 

“Um, nothing really. I was just a bit surprised by, uh, what’s your name?”

 

A slow blink is all he gets in reply. Jaebum narrows his eyes.

 

“Everything alright over here?” Youngjae turns to see Mark and Jackson over his shoulder; Jackson’s eyes are bright with curiosity while Mark’s shoulders are tense.

 

“You, what are you doing out here?” Jaebum asks, knuckles turning white as his fingers clench the handle of his bat.

 

Another slow blink then the stranger slowly shakes his head and takes a shaky step forward.

 

“You stay right where you are. Before you take another step closer, you need to show me that you haven’t been bitten. Strip.”

 

The bat is swung up to rest on Jaebum’s shoulder. Youngjae bites his lip, mentally willing the other man to do as he’s told. He ignores Youngjae’s urging if he can hear it. Youngjae counts two steps before he’s flinching at the sight—and the sound—of Jaebum’s bat crashing into the man’s skull, gasping as he watches the man wobble on his feet before he collapses in a heap. Youngjae then leaps out of his skin when Jaebum brings his bat up and brings it down—hard and fast—before he lifts it and swings again, and again, and again…

 

“ _Jesus Christ, Jaebum!_ ” Jackson screams, his voice cracking.

 

 _Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!_  

 

The hits go on forever and Youngjae watches every one, frozen, his eyes wide in horror. Eventually the hard sounds of the metal hitting bone morph into the squelching noise of metal hitting soft brain tissue. 

 

_Squelch!_

 

That’s the limit for Youngjae. He clenches his eyes shut and turns away, falling on his knees as bile forces its way up his throat.

 

“What the  _fuck_  did you do that for?!” Jackson shrieks.

 

Youngjae hears the sound of flesh hitting flesh as he coughs, saliva and mucous and the contents of his stomach dripping out of his open mouth.

 

“I was saving all our lives! He’d been infected; I could tell. It wouldn’t have been long until he fully turned and tried to attack us,” Jaebum pants.

 

“You don’t know that for sure!”

 

“I gave him the chance to prove he was clear and he didn’t listen. He just kept coming at me with that glazed look in his eyes. What was I supposed to have done?” Jaebum’s voice is colder than the wind that’s blowing Youngjae’s own sick into his face.

 

“Here,” a soft voice murmurs. Youngjae blinks up at Mark, who’s looking a bit green in the face himself. “Rinse your mouth and drink some of this,” Mark says as he lifts a bottle of water to Youngjae’s lips, rubbing his back with his other hand.

 

“Well you still didn’t have to  _kill_ him! You could’ve just pushed him back with the end of your bat or something.”

 

“I’ve seen a person get their throat ripped out by someone like him before. They can go from dazed to manic in a heartbeat, and things are risky enough out here without taking those kinds of chances,” Jaebum says firmly.

 

There’s a long silence and then Youngjae hears footsteps.

 

“Jackson, where are you going?”

 

Youngjae raises his head at once, water dribbling out of his mouth and going down the wrong tube at the same time. “J-j-jackson?” he coughs

 

“I need to take a walk. I’ll be back,” Jackson throws over his shoulder without a glance behind.

 

“Here, I’ll help you up,” Mark holds a hand out to Youngjae, who takes it and lets the other man pull him to his feet, still coughing some water out of his lungs.

 

When his coughing fit finally subsides, Youngjae pulls his handkerchief out of his pocket and uses it to rub his mouth, watching Jaebum watch Jackson’s retreating back. Youngjae feels a pull in his navel, but he shakes it off, deciding to trust Jackson. As he adjusts his scarf he gets an eyeful of a crushed head. He turns away, forcing himself to take deep breaths. When he’s sure he won’t vomit again, he turns back and lays his handkerchief over what remains of the man’s head with a whispered, “I’m sorry”.

 

 

 

 

When Jackson comes back from his walk, the sun has almost set, but the four of them continue their journey in stiff, uncomfortable silence. Youngjae can’t come up with any words to say and he’s reluctant to be the first to break the silence, but he can’t just ignore what just happened. He slows his steps until he’s walking beside Jackson and reaches out to hold the sleeve of his protective jacket. Jackson slowly turns to him, looking drawn and weary, and Youngjae can’t stand it. He squeezes Jackson’s arm, offering a smile that he hopes isn’t as shaky and watery as he feels it is. Jackson offers a shaky smile of his own in return, jiggling his arm to shake off Youngjae’s hand before he pulls off his glove and laces their fingers together, giving it a gentle squeeze. Jackson’s hand is pleasantly warm, a contrast to Youngjae’s which are chilly from exposure to the autumn wind. A few moments after he turns away, Youngjae sees the thousand-yard-stare return to Jackson’s face in his peripheral vision. Youngjae can’t do anything else, so he bites his lip and squeezes Jackson’s hand.

 

 

 

 

“We’ll rest here for the night,” Jaebum says as he stops and shrugs off his bag; it’s the first words anyone’s spoken in over an hour. “I’ll take first watch. Mark, I’ll wake you in five hours.”

 

Mark nods and sets down his bag, pulling off the rolled-up blanket and holding it out to Jaebum who shakes his head and climbs onto the roof of a car, sitting with his arms crossed. Mark stares at his profile for a moment before he sighs and lies down, resting his head on his bag. Youngjae sees Jackson setting his things down a few feet away, using his own blanket as a makeshift pillow, arms crossed tightly over his chest as he lies on his back. Youngjae sighs; despite what they might think, he and Jaebum are really more alike than they are different. 

 

Shaking his head, Youngjae pulls out his own blanket and covers himself with it as he rests his head against his bag, shifting around to make the incredibly uncomfortable lumpiness slightly less uncomfortable. Giving up, he sighs and he rolls on his side to face the man beside him, the question that’s been weighing on his mind spilling from his lips.

 

“Mark, what would you have done?” Youngjae whispers, his voice slightly hoarse.

 

Mark blinks in surprise before deep lines form in his forehead. Jackson and Jaebum have made their positions clear and something inside Youngjae won’t be able to relax until he hears Mark’s as well. For his part, his stomach clenched when he had to attack people who were definitely dead and gone. Even if he wanted to, he can’t see himself bringing himself to raise a hand—or a bat—to someone who might have still had a chance. He’s no killer and he doesn’t even have the kind of ruthless will to live that Jaebum has in spades. Mark is a bit of a mystery to him though. Kindness seems to come so easily to him and Youngjae always feels so reassured and soothed by his simple presence. Still, while Jaebum’s brand of survival is more brash and obvious, Youngjae has seen glimpses of hardness in Mark as well. After a long silence, Mark finally looks up from where he’s been scratching at the cuticle of his thumb.

 

“The same as Jaebum,” he says, quietly but firmly.

 

“O-oh,” Youngjae breathes, blinking a bit.

 

The corner of Mark’s lips turn up in a mirthless smile, his eyes lacking their usual sparkle, before he rolls over on his other side. His back moves slightly as he takes deep, even breaths, but Youngjae can see tension in the back of his neck. The ground beneath them is as solid and intact as ever, but it feels to Youngjae as though a chasm has opened up between them.


	4. Part four

Youngjae usually falls deeply into sleep when he eventually manages to drift off, but tonight he finds himself twitching and shifting at every little rustle of leaves, every change in the direction of the wind, every slight temperature fluctuation. Settling on his back, Youngjae closes his eyes and tries out Mark’s sleeping method once again to no avail. It’s been a few days, but the image of a smashed skull is still fresh in his mind and it keeps infiltrating his pleasant thoughts no matter how many times he determinedly pushes it away. At this point Youngjae will be happy even if he doesn’t have a nice dream so long as he can finally fall asleep and take a break from the world for a few hours. Somewhere between his eighty second and eighty third breaths Youngjae hears the sound of birds’ wings flapping. Startled by the noise, he sits up only to find himself on the dark road with nothing but a few empty cars as company. Youngjae gulps.

 

“Mark? Jackson? Jaebum? Where did you go?” Youngjae shivers as the air gets even colder. “Maaark? Jacksoooon? Jaebuuuum?” Youngjae drones into the night, slowly walking around looking for them. A cloud passes over the moon, blocking his only source of light and making it so dark that Youngjae can’t see his hands in front of him as he stumbles around looking for his friends, calling for them as he goes. Fortunately it’s not long before a small but bright light is shone in his eyes.

 

“You guys, I was looking all over for you!” Youngjae cries happily, a smile stretching across his face as he sees the other three. He blinks in surprise when none of his friends are happy to meet him. Jaebum isn’t so much staring at him but staring through him with an impassive expression, Mark’s lips are pressed tightly together as he runs a hand through his hair, and Jackson’s lower lip quivering as he bites down on it.

 

“Do you need more proof now?” Jaebum asks over his shoulder as he swings his bat onto his shoulder.

 

“Proof of what?” Youngjae asks, but that only makes Jackson flinch and step in front of Jaebum with a storm of emotions raging in his eyes.

 

“I’ll do it,” he says with grim determination. Youngjae barely has time to blink before Jackson is shuffling up to him and a sword is stabbing him in the neck.

 

“Jackson, what are you doing?!” Youngjae cries out as he reaches for his old roommate.

 

Jackson just pulls the sword out of his neck and cuts both of his arms off with two vicious slashes.

 

“Why? Why are you doing this to me? Did I make you angry?”

 

Jackson ignores his pleas, moving forward to cut off his legs, leaving Youngjae to fall onto his back with Jackson looming above him.

 

“Jackson, please!”

 

“Youngjae, wake up!” Jackson shouts with Mark’s voice.

 

Youngjae jolts up in shock as Jackson’s stoic face melts away and Mark’s concerned one forms in its place.

 

“You were having a nightmare, wake up,” Mark whispers intently.

 

Youngjae barely gets his eyes open before he’s latching onto Mark, his fingers clutching the other man’s sweater as he pants heavily against his neck. As Youngjae shifts into wakefulness, he realises that it’s probably Mark’s turn on watch and that Youngjae should probably let him go. He can’t bring himself to do that though, not just yet, not while his nightmare is so fresh in his mind. He expects Mark to pry his hands off and sit back, but he surprises Youngjae by letting him cling until his breathing slows down. Eventually, Youngjae pulls away and sits up—shame filling him once again—but he keeps one hand clenched around the hem of Mark’s sweater.

 

“I’ve got about twenty minutes left before I have to wake Jackson, do you want to sit up with me until then?” Mark asks softly as he covers Youngjae’s hand with his own. “You don’t have to be ashamed about having a nightmare.”

 

“At least I didn’t cry this time,” Youngjae says sardonically.

 

“You’re adapting,” Mark smiles slightly, but there’s no real humour in it.

 

“How are you so unaffected by all this?” Youngjae asks incredulously with a wide sweep of his free hand.

 

“I’m not,” Mark says lowly, his face frustratingly impassive.

 

“Really? ‘Cause it feels like I’m the only one who can’t just brush himself off and carry on like nothing’s happened,” Youngjae pants.

 

“Youngjae, you need to calm down,” Mark frowns.

 

“I’m the only one who can’t sleep at night, who still gets woken up by nightmares,” Youngjae’s voice gradually increases in volume as his breathing rate speeds up.

 

“Youngjae, stop,” Mark whispers fiercely, glancing at the line of trees beside them.

 

“It’s just a matter of time before I get myself killed or bitten. I’m the weakest link here, we all know it!”

 

“Youngjae!”

 

There is a long trail of words just bursting to spill out of Youngjae’s mouth, but they’re stopped in their tracks by Mark’s hand over his mouth. Youngjae tenses up and instinctively starts thrashing against the other man’s hold, his screams muffled as Mark tightens his grip. With two quick movements Youngjae is flat on his back with his wrists pinned above him, Mark’s solid weight sitting on his legs. Youngjae’s head shifts from side to side as he vainly tries to push the other man off him. For his part Mark isn’t even looking at him, his gaze focused on their surroundings. As a stiff breeze passes over them, Youngjae’s struggles become weaker until he eventually stops moving altogether, his eyes falling shut eyes as shame hits him once again. Seemingly satisfied with his check, Mark finally removes his hands from Youngjae’s wrists and mouth. Youngjae blinks his eyes open when he’s counted twenty breaths and he still feels Mark’s weight on top of him.

 

“Mark?” Youngjae asks unsurely, his voice barely more than a whisper.

 

Mark stares down unblinkingly into Youngjae’s face, his eyes constantly shifting in their sockets though their gaze never strays from Youngjae’s face. Mark bites his lip. Youngjae holds his breath. Mark blinks and then he’s rolling off Youngjae, brushing the dirt from his hands and muttering about it being time for him to wake Jackson. Youngjae shivers as he lies on his back, the wind’s cold fingers curling around his body.

 

“Youngjae, you alright?” Jackson calls out a few minutes later, his voice still thick and scratchy with sleep.

 

Youngjae tenses when Jackson looms above him, relaxing when the older man sits down beside him. Youngjae sits up and Jackson immediately wraps an arm around his waist.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just had some trouble sleeping,” Youngjae says as he rests his head on Jackson’s shoulder, his gaze drifting towards Mark’s back.

 

“How have you been holding up after…you know?” Jackson’s eyes briefly shift towards Jaebum before they return to Youngjae.

 

Youngjae bites his lip. Jaebum and Jackson haven’t gotten into any more fights since that day—the two of them haven’t spoken at all, really—but the atmosphere between them is still tense. Jackson hasn’t given any indications that he’ll walk off again, but Youngjae still worries that he’ll do it one day. With all the though he’s given it, Youngjae still isn’t sure who he’d pick to follow if it come down to it; he hopes he never has to.

 

“Well, I’m not unaffected, but I guess I’m not falling apart either,” Youngjae says at last. The words taste like a lie on his tongue, but he doesn’t want to be any more of a burden than he already is.

 

Jackson nods in consideration. “I suppose that’s the best we could hope for. Anyway, lie down. You should at least close your eyes and rest even if you don’t fall asleep,” he tugs on Youngjae’s shoulder, directing the younger man to lay his head in Jackson’s lap. “Just close your eyes and relax, Youngjae,” Jackson murmurs as he strokes Youngjae’s hair. Jackson’s thigh makes a much more comfortable resting spot than the hard ground or Youngjae’s lumpy bag and the combined sensations of his hair being stroked and the softly sung Cantonese caressing his ears quickly sends Youngjae into a light doze.

 

“You won’t leave, right?” Youngjae mumbles sleepily. The rhythmic petting stops for a few seconds before it’s resumed.

 

If Jackson gives an answer then Youngjae doesn’t hear it as quiet snores start to leave his mouth.

 

 

 

 

“Hey, Jaebum, what’s your home planet?” Jackson asks as they’re all getting ready to set off the next day, well-rested but with churning stomachs.

 

“What?” Jaebum frowns, looking confused. Those are the first words Jackson has said to him in days.

 

“Which planet are you originally from? Because you seem to misunderstand how people use the phrase ‘not too far’ here on earth,” Jackson says snippily as he rolls up his blanket. 

 

“Relatively speaking, it isn’t. And I did say it would take a while on foot,” Jaebum scowls as he takes a vitamin supplement with a mouthful of water.

 

Youngjae glances nervously between the two of them, mentally willing Mark to piss faster so he can come back before this situation can escalate.

 

“Heh, ‘it’ll take a while’, ‘it’s not too far from here’, could you get anymore fucking vague, man?” Jackson scoffs.

 

Jaebum’s arms shake slightly as his hands clench into fists.

 

“Please, stop,” Youngjae says hoarsely, his voice hardly more than a breath. If the two of them hear his words, then they don’t listen to him.

 

“I don’t remember putting a gun to your head and making you come with me,” Jaebum says evenly.

 

“I don’t think you’d use a gun even if you had one. You seem to prefer a weapon that let’s you be more personally involved when you kill people,” Jackson says with feigned consideration.

 

Jaebum leaps to his feet and steps forward. Jackson follows. Youngjae flinches at the spike of pain he feels in his thumb, pulling his hand from his mouth to see that he’s bitten his fingernail down to the nail bed.

 

Mark steps through the trees at last and Youngjae releases a long breath.“Look, I know we’re frustrated and hungry, but this isn’t helping. Plus, I think we’re being followed.”

 

Youngjae is so relieved that it takes him a moment to register the other man’s words. “Followed?” he frowns.

 

“By who?” Jaebum asks as he steps away from Jackson.

 

“Why, you gonna murder them too?” Jackson asks offhandedly.

 

Jaebum turns on his heel with fire blazing in his eyes.

 

Mark inserts himself between the two of them with his hands held up. “You, calm down,” he says, pointing at Jaebum. “You, shut up,” he says, pointing at Jackson.

 

The two of them glare at each other over Mark’s shoulder before they look away.

 

“To answer your question, it was two guys. It was hard to see so didn’t get the best look at them, but they seemed pretty young to me.”

 

“Did they seem like a threat to you?” Jaebum asks.

 

“If they do mean us harm, then they’re _really_ terrible at it. They were fast asleep, the both of them,” Mark shrugs.

 

“How have they lasted this long if they don’t even know to sleep in shifts?” Jaebum’s brows are furrowed.

 

“How can you be sure they were following us? This is the first time we’ve seen them, it could just be a coincidence,” Jackson speaks up.

 

Mark shakes his head, “I saw a couple shadows moving through the trees on my watch a few nights ago. I thought it might be the dead, but they were too quiet. Plus their movements were too quick, too controlled.”

 

“Why didn’t you mention this before?” Jaebum frowns.

 

“Nothing happened after they disappeared and I never saw them again so I just wrote it off,” Mark shrugs.

 

“What do we do now?” Youngjae thinks out loud.

 

“We can’t just leave them,” Jackson says at once.

 

“No, we shouldn’t,” Jaebum sighs.

 

Jackson blinks at him with raised eyebrows, but he doesn’t say anything else.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

It’s early still—earlier than they usually set off—and the lack of sunlight makes it difficult to see, but Youngjae uses his hands to help guide his way through the trees. He’s making a lot of noise as he goes—stepping on twigs, disturbing leaves, and bumping into trees—but the two boys are still asleep by the time Mark leads the four of them to their resting spot. Youngjae bites his lip. They look so young the pair of them, curled up beside each other under a large knitted blanket. Before anyone can speak a series of staccato  _beeps!_  pierces the air. One of them slowly blinks his eyes open and presses a button on his watch. He sits up with a jolt as his gaze falls on Youngjae.

 

“It’s okay; we’re not going to hurt you,” Jackson crouches down as the younger boy’s eyes flit among the four of them. “What are your names?” When he’s met with silence Jackson continues, pointing at them in turn, “I’m Jackson. These are my friends Youngjae, Mark, and Jaebum.”

 

“Call me Bambam,” the boy says hesitantly as his companion begins to stir.

 

“That’s your name?” Mark tilts his head.

 

“No, but people here find it hard to pronounce my real name,” he shrugs.

 

“Mark and I are foreigners too. I’m from Hong Kong and he’s from America,” Jackson grins.

 

Maybe Youngjae doesn’t get it because he’s Korean, but for some reason that statement seems to makes Bambam’s shoulders drop, the tension leaving his body.

 

“Where are you from?” Jackson continues.

 

“Thailand,” Bambam says as the boy next to him sleepily pushes himself up on his elbows.

 

“Who’s your friend?” Jaebum asks.

 

“This is Yugyeom. He was in the same class as me at school.”

 

“Hello?” Yugyeom says at last, blinking in confusion.

 

“Have you two just been by yourselves this whole time?” Mark crouches down as well.

 

“Not the entire time. We were with some other people before, but, well…” Yugyeom looks down with a sigh.

 

“Shit happened?” Jackson volunteers.

 

“Pretty much,” Bambam nods.

 

“So, how long have you two been following us?” Jaebum asks with a frown.

 

“A while,” Yugyeom says vaguely, shrugging his shoulders.

 

Jaebum gives him an unimpressed look.

 

“Long enough to see you kill that guy,” Bambam says somewhat sheepishly.

 

“And you’re still here?” Jaebum sounds surprised.

 

“It’s not like we have anywhere else to go. Besides it seems like you guys are heading somewhere in particular and aren’t just wandering aimlessly like the last people we were with,” Bambam says.

 

“We are heading somewhere. Do you want to join us properly instead of shadowing us the rest of the way there?” Jaebum nods his head in the direction of the road.

 

The two of them exchange glances.

 

“Uh, yeah,” Yugyeom says.

 

“Then get your stuff together and let’s go. Our travel time is only going to get shorter as the days go on.”

 

“Should we strip first?” Yugyeom asks hesitantly.

 

Jaebum looks away briefly, rubbing his mouth with one hand before he answers their question with another question.

 

“Have you been bitten?”

 

“No,” the both of them answer, ardently shaking their heads.

 

“Alright, I’ll take you at your word,” Jaebum nods. “After all, you’ve seen what I can do when people give me cause to doubt them,” he says pointedly.

 

Yugyeom and Bambam seem to shrink where they’re sitting.

 

“Really, Jaebum?” Jackson throws up his hands, his voice full of exasperation. Youngjae sighs.

 

“Just so we’re clear,” Jaebum says evenly.

 

“We’re definitely not lying,” Yugyeom says intently.

 

“Let’s go then,” Jaebum says.

 

Youngjae holds out a hand and helps Yugyeom and Bambam get to their feet. The two of them brush the dirt and leaves off each other’s backs before they fold up their blanket and put it away. Jaebum turns and heads back to the road that doesn’t seem to end, everyone following behind him. There hasn’t been much talking among them in the past week, but it seems like the presence of newcomers has revitalised Jackson.

 

“You said you were in the same class, right? What year of school were you in?” he asks.

 

“Third year of high school,” Bambam answers.

 

A laugh bubbles out of Yugyeom’s mouth, causing Jaebum to look at him in askance.

 

“What’s so funny?” he asks.

 

“Soon it’ll be the 9th of November, the day of our college entrance exam,” Yugyeom laughs.

 

“That’s right,” Bambam says absently, staring off into the sky.

 

“We used stress about it so much before and for what?”

 

“I can relate, I was training for the Olympics,” Jackson offers, wrapping an arm around Yugyeom.

 

“Is that why you’re wearing that outfit?” Bambam asks with a gesture to his fencing gear.

 

“Was it going to be your first time at the Olympics or had you been before?” Yugyeom asks with wide eyes.

 

“Which sport?” Bambam adds.

 

“I’m glad we asked you guys to come with us,” Jackson grins, practically preening as he wraps his other arm around Bambam’s shoulders. Mark rolls his eyes fondly at him.

 

“I’m curious, what did you two do for food?” Jaebum speaks up.

 

“Bambam’s really good at catching catching things like rabbits and frogs and I’m not to bad at fishing. We’re both pretty crap at building fires though so we ended up eating everything raw,” Yugyeom says with a grimace.

 

“That probably helped save your lives. Fires attract unwanted attention,” Mark says matter-of-factly.

 

“Still, raw fish is better than going hungry. I think we could all benefit with something filling our stomachs. It’s been a while since we didn’t have hunger pains,” Youngjae speaks up.

 

“Yeah, maybe of us would stop being so cranky after a half decent meal,” Mark mutters to himself.

 

Youngjae–the only one close enough to hear his words–turns to him with raised eyebrows. Mark glances between Jaebum and Jackson before he shakes his head.

 

“You really think food is enough to solve that problem?” Youngjae asks in a low voice, stepping closer to Mark.

 

“Hunger does nothing but exacerbate pre-existing bad feelings. With full stomachs they won’t be so quick to go off on each other.”

 

“Then I hope we get lots to eat today. We really don’t need this kind of internal fracture in our group when we’re all we have for survival,” Youngjae frowns. “What is it?” he blinks as Mark starts to chuckle.

 

“No, it’s just…That was a really astute thing to say. Jaebum may be our de facto leader, but you’re not so bad yourself,” Mark smiles, tonguing at one of his canines. “You might not see it in yourself, but I’ve seen a lot of growth in you compared to when we first met.”

 

“Oh, well, thanks,” Youngjae laughs, both hands coming up to press against his chest to calm down the beating of his heart.

 

Mark’s smile widens a bit. “I’ll go see if I can convince Jaebum to let us stop a bit early for lunch today,” he bumps their shoulders before he increases his pace to catch up to Jaebum.

 

Youngjae watches him go, his hands till clasped over his chest. It takes a few minutes before his hear rate slows down, Mark’s smile imprinted in his mind.

 

 

 

 

“You okay over there?” Youngjae asks with chattering teeth.

 

“No, I don’t think I’ve felt this miserable in a long time,” Bambam moans as he huddles beneath the small umbrella Youngjae gave him, water running down his back.

 

“It rained about three weeks ago, what did you and Yugyeom do then?” Youngjae asks. He’s starting to regret giving the younger boy the umbrella as he feels cold water slowly seeping through his supposedly waterproof jacket.

 

“One of the guys in our old group had this huge, plastic tarpaulin and we slept under that when it rained. It was noisy as hell, but at least we kept dry,” Bambam sighs.

 

“Well, look at it this way, we just have to suffer through…two more hours and then we can get out of the rain,” Youngjae smiles, trying to sound optimistic.

 

When Jaebum suggested that he finally be allowed to take a watch shift on his own, Youngjae never imagined that he’d be sitting in the rain, worried about attracting the dead with his chattering teeth. At least he’s not alone in his suffering; he has Mark to thank for that. It was him who suggested that Bambam or Yugyeom stay up with him to keep him company and get practise with taking a shift.

 

“So, you and Yugyeom didn’t sleep in shifts before? How come?” Youngjae asks, trying to take his mind off the way he’s slowly loosing sensation in his feet.

 

“In our old group we were the youngest by a decade, so we weren’t made it to do it while we were with them. We tried it when we were on our own, but we fell asleep no matter what,” Bambam says sheepishly.

 

“Well, at least now you don’t have to worry about that,” Youngjae chuckles slightly.

 

He wraps his arms around himself and clenches his eyes shut as a chilly gust of wind blows water into his face. He wipes his face with his hand when the wind dies down and heaves a sigh. Still, it could be worse; at least he’s not hungry anymore. Pining after shelter will probably just make the time go by slower, but Youngjae can’t help but stare at the old car that the rest of his friends are sleeping in. Well, he assumes they’re sleeping. The vehicle itself is pretty small; four of them can fit, but it’s hardly a comfortable fit.

 

“Wouldn’t it be great if one of us knew how to hotwire that?” Bambam speaks up after a long silence, sounding wistful.

 

“You should save thoughts like that for when our shift is over so you can have good dreams,” Youngjae muses.

 

“Oh, I have an idea!” Bambam jumps to his feet a few minutes later, his feet momentarily slipping from under him.

 

“What is it?” Youngjae asks, watching the younger boy shuffle around in the grass with equal parts confusion and fascination.

 

“Frogs like to come out when it rains this heavily. I could catch some for our breakfast,” Bambam replies over his shoulder.

 

“Can you even see anything with it so dark?” Youngjae frowns as he eases himself to his feet and steps up beside the younger boy.

 

“No, but you’ve got a flashlight, right?”

 

“I do,” Youngjae says slowly.

 

“Then take it out.”

 

Youngjae bites his lip. Jaebum never specifically said not to use the penlight, but he has always been adamant about keeping a low profile and not drawing attention to themselves, especially at night.

 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Just forget about finding frogs until the morning. It’ll probably still be wet enough to find them then.”

 

“Awww, come on. What could happen?”

 

“We could get attacked,” Youngjae whispers furiously, “We’ve all gotten lucky so far, but that can all change.”

 

As if to prove his point a low, haunting moan drifts through the trees.

 

“Crap,” Youngjae swears under his breath. Bambam is frozen, staring into the dark with wide eyes. “Come on,” Youngjae grabs him by the arm and pulls him up, dragging him back to the car.

 

“What should we do?” Bambam sputters out.

 

“You stay here and wake the others if I call for help. I’ll take care of this,” Youngjae nods before he grabs his bat and sticks his penlight between his teeth.

 

As the moaning gets louder and more insistent, Youngjae takes deep breaths and tells himself that he can do this, that he’s done this before, that help is only a shout and a few feet away, that someone is counting on him. By the time the three bodies start stumbling out of the line of trees, his shivering is only mostly due to the rain.

 

“Bambam, pass me the umbrella!” Youngjae shouts in a whisper as an idea strikes him.

 

He hears the sound of shoes slipping and sliding over the wet tarmac before the plastic handle is pressed into his open hand. He turns it so the ferrule is pointed towards the dead. With the bat in one hand and the umbrella in the other, Youngjae lunges forward and uses all his strength to knock the three of them over. He ends up putting too much force into it and almost goes crashing down on top of them, but he manages to get his leg down and keep himself upright. While they’re still stumbling to their feet, Youngjae hefts his bat and delivers three swift and heavy hits to their skulls. They smash open. 

 

_Splat! Splat! Splat!_

 

It’s over in a minute, but he pants as though he’s just finished a marathon.

 

“See what I meant about – Ahhh!” Youngjae cries out as something slimy grabs him by the arms.

 

Just before the penlight falls out of his mouth he sees a rotted face looming over him. His feet slip from underneath him and his vision spins as his head is slammed against the ground. Warm breath on his neck snaps him back into focus and he pushes against the creature’s weight with his arms and legs. Pain rips through his chest as something hard and solid crashes into it before he’s covered in a shower of blood and flesh. Youngjae scrambles from underneath the unmoving dead, his hand clutching his neck.

 

“Did you–Did it–Were you bitten?” Bambam stammers, the bat still clutched in his hands.

 

“No, I–I don’t feel any marks. Get the light and check,” Youngjae pants, trying not to sound as panicked as he feels. He might have wet himself, but the rain makes it hard to tell.

 

“I don’t see anything,” Bambam mutters as he moves the light over Youngjae’s neck and collarbone area.

 

“Thank God,” Youngjae sighs in relief, slumping down onto the ground and letting the rain beat down on his face, washing away the remains of his brush with death. Bambam sits down beside him. “Thanks for saving my life, by the way.”

 

“Sure, and thanks for stepping up and taking care of the first three. You were really cool,” Bambam says quietly.

 

Youngjae smiles at his words. Even though the younger boy had to come to his rescue in the end, Youngjae still feels like he’s proved something to himself.

 

The two of them spend the remaining ninety minutes of their watch sitting in silence with their arms and thighs pressed together, staring out into the darkness as the rain peters off into a light drizzle that glitters under the moonlight.

 

“So, how was it, your first time on watch?” Jaebum yawns as he steps out of the driver’s seat of the car.

 

“Uh, surprisingly eventful, but we handled it,” Youngjae says with a glance at Bambam.

 

Jaebum whistles as he sees the bodies sprawled out just in front of the car. “Not bad, you two,” Jaebum is complimenting them, but he’s also frowning.

 

“What is it?” Youngjae asks.

 

“I’ve seen the odd one on watch before, but four is…Anyway, the point is that you handled yourselves well under stress. Go and get some rest,” Jaebum nods towards the car.

 

There’s not much room for his feet and Youngjae has to be mindful not to touch the horn in the steering wheel, but the air inside the car is warm, it’s not raining, and the seat is softer than the ground.

 

“You didn’t tell him it was my fault those things showed up,” Bambam whispers from the backseat.

 

“We don’t know that for sure. Besides, we handled it, didn’t we? Why bring that up?” Youngjae whispers back, his eyes slipping closed.

 

There’s a slight pause before Bambam whispers, ‘Goodnight.’

 

“Night,” Youngjae mumbles. He has no trouble falling asleep tonight.

 


	5. Part five

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Mark smiles as he lightly shakes Youngjae awake the next morning. “Jaebum told me you took on four of these things during your watch last night.”

 

“Well…technically, I killed three… and Bambam got the last one,” Youngjae yawns as he slumps out of the car and stretches his limbs.

 

“Not bad, that puts your overall total at five,” Mark smiles as he pats Youngjae on the chest.

 

“Are you keeping track of our kills?” Youngjae chuckles slightly as he works a cramp out of his leg.

 

“Just yours,” Mark winks.

 

A smile tugs at the corner of Youngjae’s lips, but it slips off his face when he counts ten extra bodies lying on the road in various states of wholeness. Whatever happened it seems like Jaebum and/or Mark were able to handle themselves, but he can’t recall ever seeing this much carnage on waking up before. Maybe they’ve simply just been lucky to not have so many of the dead stumble across the group’s resting spot at night, but the sight unnerves him nonetheless.

 

“Good news, you guys. At the pace we’ve been going, it’s seems like we’ll only have two or three more days of travelling before we reach our destination,” Jaebum grins as he folds up his map.

 

“That’s good to hear,” Youngjae sighs in relief. He’s kind of gotten used to travelling on the road and all that it entails, but he’s definitely looking forward to finally having somewhere safe to settle down.

 

“What is our destination, by the way?” Bambam asks as he stretches.

 

“It’s a safe house on a plot of land owned by someone I know. He was my senior in school and his family are long-time friends of my family. Before the communication blackout, he told me he was going to get his friends and head there. My friend, Jinyoung, is heading there too.”

 

“The safe house will have beds right?” Yugyeom asks.

 

“There will be cots, a sofa and an armchair at least. Plus, I’m sure there are some places that could be made into fairly comfortable sleeping areas.”

 

“I can’t wait. I’m so tired of sleeping on the cold hard ground,” Bambam groans.

 

“We’ll be warm too, won’t we since we’ll be inside a house? Ahhh, the days can’t go fast enough for me,” Yugyeom sighs wistfully.

 

“Well, make sure you walk without wasting energy on complaints so we can cover more ground and get there faster,” Jaebum says pointedly. The two youngest members of their group just smile sheepishly.

 

After a quick breakfast of frogs, nuts, water, and vitamin supplements, the six of them set out, their steps brisk as their collective resolve to put their journey to an end hardens. They don’t talk much even when they stop for their next meal or for bathroom breaks, but the silence comfortably wraps itself around them like an old blanket. Even as they maintain their increased pace for hours, Youngjae finds that he isn’t very tired by the time night falls and they’re forced to stop for the day.

 

“I’m starting to get frustrated with autumn too,” Youngjae sighs as he eases himself to the ground. “I’m nowhere tired enough to sleep yet.”

 

“Really? In that case, should I assign some drills to you?” Jaebum cocks an eyebrow.

 

“Drills?” Youngjae blinks.

 

“You know push-ups, sit ups, and the like to tire you out so you can sleep.”

 

“Errr,” Youngjae scratches the back of his neck.

 

“Eh, why not? I may as well,” Jackson says as he gets to his feet and starts jogging on the spot to warm himself up.

 

“You’ve got first watch, you don’t need to be tired yet,” Jaebum frowns, sounding confused.

 

“No, but I can’t stand to sit still for that long without doing something to keep my mind focused,” Jackson grunts as he drops to the ground and does a push-up before he’s jumping back up. “Don’t worry, I won’t fall asleep. I used to do much more strenuous training and still have to drag myself to lecturers,” Jackson pauses mid-push up before he chuckles to himself and resumes his routine.

 

“What is it?” Jaebum asks.

 

“Sport has been such an integral part of my life ever since I was little. Whether it was fencing or gymnastics or basketball, I can’t remember not being involved in something, but just now I referred to my time as an athlete in the past tense without any hesitation. It’s only been eight weeks, but it feels like it’s something I did in another life,” Jackson says wryly.

 

Jaebum bites the inside of his cheek before he opens his mouth to speak. “It’s not right to hear you sound so, so…diminished,” he frowns as he fumbles for the word.

 

Jackson shrugs. “Wanna see who can do the most burpees before they collapse?” he asks with a tentative grin.

 

“Yeah, ‘cause I have a chance at beating a freaking Olympian at his own training exercise,” Jaebum drawls with his nose scrunched up.

 

“Not with that attitude,” Jackson scoffs lightly.

 

“Alright,” Jaebum rolls his eyes, but he gets to his feet and starts doing squat thrusts with the corner of his lips tugging upwards.

 

Youngjae watches them for a little while, taking a moment to delight in the two of them repairing their relationship before he turns to look at the other members of his group. Bambam is giving a (mostly not embellished) retelling of their encounter with the dead, swinging Youngjae’s bat as he demonstrates how he and Youngjae managed to get the better of them. Yugyeom is enraptured, watching with wide eyes and a slightly gaping mouth while Mark looks on with amusement.

 

“So we thought it was over, of course. We only saw three of them and we didn’t hear anything else. But then one sneaky silent one just grabbed Youngjae from behind and nearly ripped his throat out!”

 

Yugyeom jumps with a gasp.

 

“He managed to keep it at bay, but the thing was right on top of him, its jaws snapping right in his face!” Bambam adopts a shocked expression, his hand coming up to cover his open mouth. “For a second, I froze. Youngjae had told me to wake the others if he needed help, but I thought it might be too late to save him if I did that, so I grabbed the bat and  _wham!_  The thing’s head busted open like a water balloon splattering on the ground!”

 

“Sounds like you two had quite the night,” Mark chuckles.

 

“We sure did,” Bambam nods before he gestures at Yugyeom with the bat. “Did you get attacked too during your watch with Jaebum?”

 

“Kind of. Two of them stumbled out of the trees, but Jaebum was jumping up to take care of them before I even really noticed they were there,” Yugyeom says, sounding a bit sheepish.

 

“That’s nothing to be ashamed of. Jaebum has a lot more experience with being on watch and his eyes are so sharp, he’s like a hawk,” Youngjae gives him a conciliatory smile. “Besides, it might sound thrilling as a story, but experiencing it is something else.”

 

“Maybe, but I don’t want to be useless, you know?” Yugyeom shrugs, still looking a bit put out.

 

“You’re not useless! We’re not going hungry anymore thanks to you–and Bambam of course,” Youngjae says with a glance at the other boy. “I’m getting better at defending myself each day, but it’s not like I was born to be some great warrior. Hell, the first time I left my hiding place I almost got eaten and up to last night I still needed to be saved. You’re doing fine, okay?”

 

Yugyeom nods, perking up a bit more. Bambam knocks their shoulders companionably, and that seems to set off some kind of game where the two of them keep rocking into each other like two balls in a pendulum.

 

“Well said, Youngjae,” Mark says with a pointed smile.

 

Youngjae flushes a bit, laughing at the irony. He sits up straighter when he does a quick calculation in his head.

 

“Wait a minute…Mark, you took on eight of those things? On your own? In the dark? With a knife?” Youngjae’s voice –and his eyebrows – rises as he fires off his questions. Yugyeom and Bambam stop bumping their shoulders and turn to gape at the older man.

 

“They didn’t come all at once, but yeah,” Mark shrugs.

 

“How do you do it?” Youngjae asks.

 

“Mark is as nimble as a cat and he’s a lot stronger than he looks,” Jaebum pants as he eases himself down beside Youngjae, raising a bottle of water to his lips.

 

“Oh, wow,” Yugyeom says in awe as Mark jokingly flexes his arms, only managing to hold his pose for a second before he dissolves into laughter.

 

“That may be so, but I bet you couldn’t beat these guns,” Jackson quickly strips of his protective jacket and flexes his arms, his muscles pressing through the thin material of his undershirt.

 

“Oh, stop showing off,” Jaebum laughs despite himself.

 

“Who won your bet, by the way?” Youngjae asks.

 

“I did,” Jackson grins.

 

“Like I said you would from the start,” Jaebum rolls his eyes.

 

“Excuses, excuses,” Jackson clicks his tongue as he wags his finger in Jaebum’s face.

 

“Well, I’m exhausted so I’m going to sleep. Good night,” Jaebum pushes Jackson’s hand out of his face and gets up.

 

“Sweet dreams,” Jackson says airily as he slaps a hand against Jaebum’s ass.

 

“Ah–You...You punk,” Jaebum sputters before he aims a swipe at the back of Jackson’s head.

 

“Good to see we’re all getting along again,” Mark says lightly when Jaebum has left.

 

“I still think he could’ve given the guy a chance, but it’s already over and done with and being at odds with each other won’t change the past,” Jackson says seriously as he pulls his jacket back on. “Plus, holding grudges is too exhausting. I’m just not built for it,” he chuckles slightly. Mark nods with a smile.

 

“Well, it’s early still, but let’s wind down and relax so we can fall asleep faster,” Mark says with a glance at his watch.

 

“Yeah, just leave me on my own with no-one to talk to,” Jackson pouts.

 

“Make a list of the things that come to mind and we can go through them on the road tomorrow,” Mark says.

  
  
”I’m gonna hold you to that,” Jackson grins mischievously.

 

Mark shakes his head with a low chuckle as the four of them prepare to turn in for the night.

 

Forty two minutes later, Youngjae shivers slightly under his blanket as he lies on his back, forcing himself not to open his eyes to check his watch again. His feet are glad for the rest from their constant travelling, but his mind refuses to stop racing. As he takes deep, slow breaths, he tries to channel his images of what the safe house might look like into a dream to no avail. Giving up, he opens his eyes with a sigh. Bambam and Yugyeom are curled up together under their large blanket; it shifts slightly every now and then as one of them moves in their sleep. It’s a fairly large blanket, but he might not be able to fit under it with them. Shame, it looks like it’s really warm…

 

“Youngjae, you still awake?”

 

Youngjae blinks as Mark’s voice drifts through the cold air. “Yeah,” he turns on his side to address the other man.

 

“Come here,” Mark says with a wave of his hand.

 

Youngjae frowns in confusion, but he shuffles closer to him. Mark shifts his body and moves his blanket so that their sides are pressed together and his blanket is also covering Youngjae. The extra layer goes a long way in warming Youngjae up. Mark’s body heat is also a big help.

 

“Oh, thanks,” Youngjae laughs nervously. They’ve slept beside each other dozens of times, but this is the first time that they’ve been close enough to breathe each other’s air.

 

“I could hear your teeth chattering and your bones shaking from your shivering,” Mark smiles softly.

 

Youngjae gulps. That smile can make his heart skip a beat from across a room; it’s practically lethal this close up.

 

“Uh, right. Thanks, I’m much warmer now,” Youngjae’s voice cracks slightly. He doubts whether the trade off was worth it because his mind is racing even faster as his heartbeat accelerates.

 

“Is that… sweat I see on your forehead? Are you  _that_ warm?” Mark asks, sounding surprised.

 

“Uh, I guess so. It is pretty toasty with two blankets,” Youngjae says nervously as he turns on his side, his back facing Mark. “Good night.”

 

“Night,” Mark sighs.

 

Youngjae closes his eyes and desperately wills himself to sleep. Fortunately for him, the warmth of Mark’s blanket and Mark’s body heat makes him comfortable enough to fall into a light doze. He’s jolted right back into alertness when an arm is thrown over his waist and he feels the length of Mark’s body pressing against his back. For a long moment he just lays there, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open.

 

“Mark?” he whispers.

 

When Youngjae gets no response, he turns his head, straining his neck, to see Mark’s sleeping face right behind him. Turning back, Youngjae settles down and takes deep breaths again to calm himself to no avail. Lying on his side, he stares into the darkness, watching the shadows of trees as their leaves dance in the wind until a cloud passes over the moon. Biting his lip, Youngjae slowly shifts his hand so that it’s resting over Mark’s on his stomach and shifts back slightly until he can feel warm puffs of breath on the back of his neck. Closing his eyes, sleep claims him at last. When Jackson wakes him for his shift the older man cocks an eyebrow at him, his gaze flitting between Youngjae and Mark.

 

“It was cold,” Youngjae mumbles over his shoulder as he eases himself away from Mark and goes to take his watch position.

 

The next morning Mark asks him if he slept well with a yawn. Youngjae nods, focusing on Mark’s sleepy smile and ignoring the gaze he feels piercing the back of his head.

 

 

 

 

“How much longer is it until we’re there?” Bambam moans when they stop for a quick lunch.

 

Jaebum tends to show a lot more patience for this question when it comes from one of their two youngest members compared to when it comes from Jackson, but he still makes a face at him before he answers.

 

“We’re only about a couple of miles away now.”

 

“So, we’ll get there before nightfall? Thank God! Goodbye sleeping on the ground,” Bambam does a little dance in his seat.

 

“How about you channel that energy into the last leg of our journey?” Jaebum snorts lightly.

 

“Alrighty then. Let’s go!” Bambam jumps to his feet.

 

Yugyeom quickly follows him and the two of them race down the road, stopping only when Jaebum whistles sharply.

 

“Awww let them run. They’re still in sight and their energy is wonderfully contagious,” Jackson wheedles, nudging Jaebum with his elbow.

 

“Alright, fine. Just don’t run off too far, you two,” Jaebum relents with a long suffering sigh.

 

“Don’t even try to pretend like you’re not excited too,” Jackson chuckles. Jaebum shakes his head with a laugh as he speeds up his pace.

 

“What about now? It’s been like two hours, how much longer do we have to go?” Yugyeom asks as he rocks on the balls of his feet.

 

“We’re almost there, it’s just off the road and through the trees there,” Jaebum grins.

 

Yugyeom whoops and jogs ahead of them.

 

“You mean it’s sitting right next to a bunch of trees? How safe is this safe house?” Bambam frowns.

 

“It’s not just out in the open, you know. It’s lined on all sides by a fence,” Jaebum scoffs as he turns to the younger boy.

 

“Uh, is it a chain link fence?” Yugyeom asks front in front of them.

 

“Yeah,” Jaebum nods.

 

“With barbed wire at the top?”

 

“Yeah,” Jaebum frowns.

 

“Like that?”

 

The five of them stop where they are and follow Yugyeom’s finger to see what he’s pointing at. It’s a section of a chain link fence. With barbed wire at the top. It’s covered in blood, bits of rotting flesh, and a torn patch of what might have been a plaid shirt. Once his brain has fully processed what his eyes see, Youngjae’s turns to stare at Jaebum who is progressively turning paler. He blinks and then he’s dashing forward, weaving through the rest of the trees. Youngjae and the others give chase.

 

“No… _Fuuuuuck!_ ”

 

Youngjae grimaces at the pain in the other man’s cries. As he comes to a stop behind Jaebum, the broken fence crunching beneath his feet, he’s left at a loss for words. In front of him sits a large, square shaped plot of land with a house at the far end and a small cluster of trees next to it. That’s all he can see as the rest of the field is swarming with decomposing bodies that moan as they stumble around.

 

“Shit, shit shit, shit,  _shit!_ ” Jaebum repeatedly slams his fist into the nearest inanimate object–a shrub that shudders and sheds leaves from the impact–before he tears its branches off and stalks off back the way they came.

 

Mark sighs heavily before he turns to follow Jaebum and puts himself in the other man’s path. “Jaebum, look, it was a solid plan, but shit happened and it’s not your fault. Don’t–Jaebum!”

 

Jaebum tries to dodge Mark, but he grabs Jaebum by the shoulders before he can move away.

 

“Hey, stop!”

 

“Why should I? I’ve only gotten us all killed,” Jaebum says darkly.

 

“Jaebum, there’s hope as long as we’re still alive. All’s not lost yet,” Mark says firmly.

 

“Yet? That’s kind of you,” Jaebum laughs derisively.

 

“You said it yourself; we couldn’t stay where we were for long anyway. We all decided to take the chance and unfortunately it didn’t work out, but that’s not your fault,” Mark says seriously, digging his fingers into Jaebum’s shoulders as if to implant his words.

 

“Mark’s right, you couldn’t have predicted this.” Youngjae blinks as Jackson steps up beside Jaebum. “Look, we both know that I haven’t agreed with everything you’ve done, but you’ve kept our group together as best as you could. There’s no point in beating yourself up over the fact that the world is fucked,” he says reasonably.

 

Jaebum’s shoulders relax fractionally, but the stricken look is still on his face when he turns to look back at the safe house.

 

“What do we do now?” Bambam scratches his head.

 

“We could head back to mine and Jackson’s and try to figure something out from there?” Youngjae says unsurely. 

 

“Assuming that no-one else has found it and moved in while we’ve been gone, that’s not a bad idea,” Jackson shrugs.

 

“I guess that’s our best shot. Jaebum?” Mark turns to him. Jaebum runs his hands through his hair with a pinched look on his face, but Yugyeom speaks up before he can weigh in with his thoughts on that plan.

 

“Uh, guys, I see someone in a tree over there,” the younger boy says as he looks through a pair of binoculars.

 

“You see someone? Give me those,” Jaebum grabs the binoculars out of the younger boy’s hands and peers through them.

 

“Have you always had those?” Jackson tilts his head.

 

“How do you think we kept track of you while keeping our distance?” Bambam shrugs.

 

“ _Fuck!_ ” The five of them jump at Jaebum’s shout. “It’s Jinyoung!”

 

“What?!” Mark pulls the binoculars out of Jaebum’s hands and holds them up to his face. “Shit!”

 

“We have to save him,” Jaebum swings his bat over his shoulder and darts forward, only to be stopped by Jackson who grabs him by the bag.

 

“Hey, wait, man. Stop! You charge in like that against a herd that big and the only outcome is you getting eaten alive,” Jackson grunts as he struggles to keep Jaebum from running off to his death.

 

“He’s one of my closest friends; I’ve known him since I was thirteen. I can’t just leave him there to die,” Jaebum says desperately.

 

“And you won’t, but we have to be smart about this, alright?” Jackson insists, his fingers digging into Jaebum’s shoulders as he shakes the other man slightly.

 

“A level head is the key to survival, remember? We’ll figure out a way to save him, but we have to keep calm,” Youngjae says soothingly as he rubs Jaebum’s back.

 

“They’re right, Jaebum,” Mark says with a grim but determined look on his face.

 

“Right…what should we do?” Jaebum sighs as he runs a hand through his hair and takes deep breaths.

 

“I think we should split up; divide and conquer. The herd is too big to just charge into, we need to attack from multiple sides,” Jackson says as he uses a rock to draw up a rough battle plan in the dirt.

 

“Bambam and I don’t have weapons though,” Yugyeom bites his lip.

 

“But we could still act as a diversion and draw the herd away,” Bambam says pensively.

 

“You mean, be live bait?” Youngjae frowns.

 

“I’m sure we could out run them, they’re not exactly the fastest things.” Bambam tries to sound confident, but Youngjae can see the fear in his eyes.

 

“Can either of you climb trees? You could draw them to some of the other trees in the field, spread out the herd a bit and make it easier for us to kill them,” Jackson suggests.

 

“I think we could do that,” Yugyeom nods.

 

“Do you think or do you know? There’s no point in sending you out there if you can’t do it,” Jaebum says plainly.

 

“We can do it,” Yugyeom says firmly. Bambam nods.

 

“I say leave the tree climbing as a last resort. We don’t want you getting stuck as well,” Mark says. “At any rate this plan isn’t bad, but there might just be too many for the six of us to kill them with the weapons that we have,” Mark frowns as he stares at his knife.

 

“We don’t have to kill them all though, just enough to get your friend out of there,” Youngjae counters.

 

“What could we use to draw them away from Jinyoung?” Jaebum frowns in thought.

 

“I might have something somewhere in my bag,” Yugyeom mutters as he shrugs it off his shoulders and rifles through it. “Aha! I found a signal flare and a whistle. Is this going to be enough though?”

 

“We could build a huge fire. Like Mark said before, fires attract their attention,” Bambam speaks up.

 

“We could set the flare off on one side and build a fire on the other to split them up,” Jaebum says.

 

“Okay, so who’s building the fire and who’s setting off the flare?” Jackson asks as he makes amendments to his battle plan.

 

“I can make the fire,” Mark offers. “Yugyeom, you set off the flare.”

 

“What should I do?” Bambam asks.  

 

“You’ve got some frogs leftover, right? You could go with Mark and use those to distract some the ones that come towards the fire to aid your getaway,” Youngjae suggests.

 

“Okay, so Bambam and Mark will take the right and make a fire, Yugyeom and Youngjae will take the left and set off a flare and whistle, so Jaebum and I will stay here and wait for the herd to respond to your diversions before we come up from behind and clear a path to get to Jinyoung,” Jackson says as he scribbles in the dirt. “Where should we regroup? Back here?”

 

“Depending on how the herd moves, we may or may not be able to meet here again,” Jaebum says pensively.

 

“After we get the herd moving, Bambam and I will try to get to Jinyoung from the other side. Youngjae and Yugyeom, you do the same. That way we can help get rid of the remaining dead,” Mark says.

 

“Sounds like a plan,” Jackson nods.

 

“Alright, time to split up and get this rescue started. Be careful, everyone,” Jaebum says solemnly.

 

“You too,” Marks says firmly as he pulls Jaebum into a hug. When Mark pulls away, Jaebum nods and turns to stare determinedly at the field in front of them. “Good luck to you too, Jackson. Yugyeom, listen to what Youngjae says, alright?”

 

“I will,” Yugyeom nods.

 

“Youngjae, look out for Yugyeom, but keep yourself safe as well, okay?”

 

Youngjae swallows hard before he nods, the words stuck in his throat.

 

Mark stares at him for a moment before he nods and turns to Bambam. “Come on, Bambam. Let’s see if I can’t find you a long piece of wood and sharpen the end of it so you’re not completely unarmed.”

 

“Mark, wait! Maybe you should take the bat,” Youngjae blurts out as Mark turns to leave. When the other man’s eyes widen in surprise, Youngjae continues, “More of those things are probably going to head towards you than me. It might be better if you had this.”

 

Mark stares it the bat in Youngjae’s outstretched hand for a moment before he pushes it back to his side. “You keep it. You’re still going to have to fight and it wouldn’t be wise to make you do it with a weapon you haven’t used before. I’m good with this thing, remember? I’ll be alright, but thanks for offering,” Mark smiles slightly.

 

“Are you sure?” Youngjae bites his lip. He can’t argue with the other man’s logic, but maybe he’s just doing it to keep Mark right in front of him–where he’s safe–for just a few more moments. His heart is thumping uncomfortably hard in his chest as adrenaline floods his veins and it only gets more painful when he thinks of Mark getting hurt or worse.

 

“I’m sure,” Mark nods. He pats Youngjae on the shoulder before he turns to leave again, Bambam trailing in his wake.

 

Youngjae counts twelve paces before the other man stops, turns on his heel, and jogs back.

 

“Just to be clear, I’m not doing this because I think something is going to happen to either of us. Don’t get the wrong idea and freak out, okay?”

 

Before Youngjae can ask him what he’s talking about, Mark is cupping his face and pressing their lips together. Youngjae’s eyes widen in shock and all thought leaves him for a moment. When Mark shifts as if to pull away, Youngjae regains enough of his senses to chase Mark’s lips and wrap his arms around Mark’s waist, holding him where he is for just a little longer. For a few blissful seconds Youngjae and Mark are the only two people left in the world, but then Mark pulls away and they’re standing a stone’s throw away from a mass of moaning of dead that they’re both about to charge into. 

 

“Why did you do it then?” Youngjae breathes when Mark pulls away.

 

The other man just grins before he pecks Youngjae on the lips and runs off to where Bambam is standing with a bewildered look on his face.

 

“Because I wanted to,” he calls over his shoulder.

 

Youngjae licks his lips as he watches him go, fervently hoping that they’ll get the opportunity to do that again.

 

“So, you and Mark, eh?”

 

Youngjae jumps at Jackson’s voice. He turns to see the older man smiling at him with a twinkle in his eyes.

 

“Uh, um, I mean, I guess so,” Youngjae stammers.

 

“Calm down, dude, I’m not grilling you. It’s nice to see that even hell on earth can’t stop love from blossoming.” Youngjae sucks in a breath at the l-word, but it’s immediately squeezed out as Jackson wraps his arms around his waist. “You be careful out there,” Jackson breathes into his ear.

 

“I will,” Youngjae promises, hugging Jackson back. “Will you and Jaebum be alright?”

 

“Don’t you worry about that; focus on keeping yourself–and Yugeyom–alive. See you in a bit,” Jackson pulls away and sends Youngjae off with a ruffle of his hair.

 

“Let’s go, Yugyeom,” Youngjae says seriously.

 

The younger boy nods and they two of them head off to the other side.

 

“I’m thinking we should wait for Mark and Bambam to get the fire lit and draw some of the herd towards them before we send the flare off and then blow the whistle to attract the others,” Youngjae pants as he runs, dodging through the trees.

 

“Sounds good…Oh!”

 

“What is it?”

 

“I’ve still got a roll of fishing line in my bag. Maybe we could trap them with it by tying it around the trees and fencing them in,” Yugyeom says brightly.

 

“That’s a great idea. I’m glad you’re on my team,” Youngjae grins.

 

Yugyeom returns the smile.

 

When they’re finally situated to the side of the safe house, the two of them pause to catch their breath, their chests burning from the cold air. At this distance it’s still difficult to see Jinyoung in the tree without binoculars, but they’re still closer than they were when they were at the back of the field. A few minutes after their breathing returns to normal rate, Youngjae sees the first wisps of black smoke drifting above the tops of the trees at the other end of the field.

 

“Alright, let’s get this fishing line up,” Youngjae mutters to himself. “It’ll be strong enough to hold them, right? At least long enough for us to get away?”

 

“Yeah, it should. It’s really thick.”

 

“Okay, let’s go.”

 

They start by tying one end of the line to one of the trees that sits right where the forest ends and the field begins. Moving back in a half-circle, they string off trees until they get about ten feet into the woods, doubling back and re-stringing them to ensure the line holds and none of the dead will be able to get past it. Their hands are red and rough with grooves and splinters by the time they finish, and they look up at the sky to see that the smoke has thickened in volume. Squinting out at the field, Youngjae sees that some of the dead have taken notice of the smoke and are hobbling towards it.

 

“Okay, let’s take some pressure off Mark and Bambam. Light the flare,” Youngjae says.

 

Only the ones closest to them near the edge of the field notice of that, the rest still focused on Jinyoung or heading towards the fire. Youngjae bites his lip in frustration before an idea hits him.

 

“Yugyeom, you take the whistle. Stay near the edge of the field and blow it to attract their attention, but make sure nothing sneaks up behind you, okay?”

 

“What are you going to do?” Yugyeom frowns as Youngjae wipes his hands on his pants.

 

“I’m going to go a bit deeper into the field to draw them over here and pick some off while I can,” Youngjae huffs out a breath.

 

“Are you sure about that?” Yugyeom bites his lip. 

 

“I’ll be alright. You just stand blow the whistle and look out behind you,” Youngjae firmly grasps his bat and runs out into the field before he can lose his nerve.

 

It’s not long before he hears the  _tweee twee tweeeee!_  of the whistle behind him. The few creatures that initially responded to the flare hobble towards him with increased speed at the sight of prey rushing towards them; others behind them start turning around. Youngjae stops and takes a deep breath before he swings at the two bodies right in front of him.  _Thwack! Thwack!_  As they fall he dodges to the side and impales another with a thrust, smashing the temple of another on his left as he pulls it out.

 

“That’s right, follow me. Food is right over here!”  

 

He manages to kill two more before the herd catching up to him gets too large and he runs back towards the line of trees. As he’s running, he spares a glance to the side and sees Jackson and Jaebum’s small figures running onto the field. They probably aren’t looking in his direction, but he waves at them and bids them good luck anyway.

 

“Hurry, Yugyeom, get behind the wire,” Youngjae pants as they exit the field.

 

“I think you should do that, you’re too tired to move quick enough to seal them off.”

 

“I’m supposed… to look out…for you,” Youngjae pants as he tries to catch his breath.

 

“And you have. Now it’s my turn to return the favour. Take the whistle and give me the bat,” Yugyeom holds out his hand.

 

Youngjae hesitates for a moment before he obliges.

 

“I promise I’ll be careful,” Yugyeom calls out as he runs around the ends of their trap.

 

Youngjae is left doubled over with barely enough breath to blow the whistle to keep the creatures’ attention on him and not the younger boy. He doesn’t hear any cries of fear or pain, but Youngjae can’t relax until Yugyeom’s voice comes from the end of the woods five minutes later.

 

“We did it! We trapped them!”

 

Heaving a sigh of relief, Youngjae walks past the hands vainly grasping at him and he joins the younger boy at the edge of the field, stopping to survey the task ahead of them. He and Yugyeom have managed to trap about two or three dozen of the creatures, but Jackson and Jaebum are currently fighting off another two dozen or so. 

 

“Do we have any more fishing line left?” Youngjae asks hopefully.

 

“Not enough to make another trap,” Yugyeom says mournfully as he unravels what’s left on the spool.

 

“We can’t make another trap…but we do have enough to make a clothesline,” Youngjae mutters to himself. Yugyeom frowns at him in confusion for a moment before his expression clears and his mouth forms an ‘o’. “Most of them seem decomposed enough for it to work. Are you up for it?”

 

“Let’s do it,” Yugyeom nods as he wraps one end of the line around his left hand, the bat held in his right.

 

“On the count of three. One… two… three!”

 

The two of them run forward, Youngjae blowing the whistle in short puffs as he goes. The field is big enough that even with the two of them running full speed ahead and stragglers hobbling to meet them, there’s still enough time for Youngjae to worry that his idea might be the death of them before they lift their hands and two rotted heads go sailing between them with a  _thwick!_

 

“It worked! Holy crap!” Youngjae laughs with a touch of hysteria in his voice.

 

Maybe it’s the effect of the adrenaline that’s been rushing through his veins or the elation of his idea working, but Youngjae sudden feels invincible. He finds a second wind and the pace of his running increases as more and more heads are sent flying with a  _thwick!_ Yugyeom grunts with the effort of running, keeping one hand up, and swinging at creatures with his other hand. Youngjae’s invincibility streak only lasts a few more seconds before he’s knocked off balance and sent sprawling to the ground as the line goes slack in his hands.

 

“Ah! Youngjae, are you alright?!” Yugyeom calls out.

 

Youngjae uses the momentum of his fall to roll away from two bodies diving for him, just managing to get to his feet and body slam one away from Yugyeom.

 

“I’m fine. I’ll take this back now. You stay behind me,” Youngjae pants as he retrieves the bat from the ground.

 

There are still about a dozen more of the dead on the field, but he spots Mark and Bambam helping Jackson and Jaebum take them out. They’ve almost done it; this whole ordeal is almost over.  Jogging deeper into the field, Youngjae blows the whistle to distract the ones his friends are dealing with. It has the unfortunate side effect of distracting Jaebum. The other man only glances away for one second, but it’s long enough for one of the dead trip into him and send them both crashing to the ground.

 

“No!” A scream tears it way out of Youngjae’s throat as Jaebum goes down. It’s soon followed by another when Jackson lunges at them and gets a mouthful of teeth around his forearm before he shoves a shaft of metal through the thing’s head. “Jackson!”

 

Youngjae jumps as a partially decomposed hand grabs his forearm. He’s just able to bring his bat up to push it away. As it stumbles back, Youngjae follows it, putting the full weight of his body behind a downward swing.  _Thwack!_  Its head bursts open like overripe melon. Before it even stops twitching, he’s sprinting over to Jackson and Jaebum, the bat falling out of his hands.

 

“Jackson…You…Why…” Jaebum sobs.

 

Distantly, Youngjae is surprised that the other man isn’t yelling, but maybe he’s lost the ability to make sounds the way Youngjae has as well.

 

“It’s fine. I’m fine,” Jackson pants as he clutches his forearm.

 

“You’re not fine, you  _fucking idiot_ ,” Jaebum despairs before he gets up and pulls Jackson into a hug so tight that the air in his lungs is pushed out in a gasp.

 

“Oh, wow.  I appreciate the concern–I really do–but I gotta say that it’s misplaced,” Jackson wheezes.

 

“What do you mean?” Youngjae asks, too tired and too upset to care about the shakiness of his voice.

 

“I mean the bite didn’t break the skin. See for yourself,” Jackson struggles out of Jaebum’s hold before he takes his jacket off and shows the bite-free skin of his forearm.

 

It’s not until he sees it for himself that Youngjae can relax. He takes deep breaths, trying to control his emotions, but he gives up after about four seconds, throwing his arms around Jackson’s neck. The older man’s heartbeat is strong and steady and Youngjae focuses on that instead of how he almost lost Jackson for a second time.

 

“That thing’s teeth dug in really deep. How come you didn’t get bitten?” Bambam asks with furrowed brows.

 

“I’m not wearing this get-up just to look fancy,” Jackson scoffs as he gestures to his fencing gear, struggling to get his jacket back on as Youngjae clings to his neck. “There’s Kevlar lining this whole thing.”

 

“Oh wow, that’s really clever of you,” Yugyeom blinks, looking and sounding impressed. Jackson preens a bit at the praise.

 

When Youngjae finally manages to calm himself down he releases Jackson, rubbing his nose sheepishly. Jackson just smiles at him and gently ruffles his hair. His smile falters a bit as he turns to Jaebum before he notices the other man’s ears and face are turning red.

 

“I’m not dying, but you can still hug me if you want,” Jackson winks.

 

“I, well, I’m just glad you weren’t bitten and–Jinyoung!” Jackson frowns before he turns to follow Jaebum’s gaze over his shoulder.

 

Mark has his arm around a man’s waist, supporting his waist as he limps through the carnage on the field. Jaebum rushes forward to meet them and throws his arms around both Jinyoung and Mark.

 

“Jinyoung, are you alright?” Jaebum pulls away to hold Jinyoung at arm’s length, his eyes scanning the length of his body.

 

“Never have I ever been so happy to see you two,” Jinyoung laughs with his head thrown back as a tear squeezes out the corner of his eye and runs down his face.

 

“Um, I’m sorry to break up your reunion, but more of them are heading this way,” Yugyeom speaks up.

 

Youngjae instinctively turns towards the patch of trees where he and Yugyeom managed to trap a couple dozen of them to see that they’re pushing against their holds, but are–thankfully–still contained. It’s not until he turns back that he notices where Yugyeom is pointing and catches sight of scores of the dead stumbling over the small hill in front of them beyond the safe house. The fence is still up on that side, but there are easily enough of them to bring that down as well.

 

“Shit, we need to go. Jinyoung, what happened to your leg?” Jaebum frowns deeply.

 

“I injured it trying to get away from the herd,” Jinyoung cringes as he tries to hobble faster.

 

“I’ve got you,” Jackson passes his bag off to Yugyeom before steps in front of Jinyoung with his back to the other man and stoops down. “Hurry up and get on.” Jinyoung nods and eases onto his back, wrapping his legs around Jackson’s waist when he straightens.

 

“I hate to ask, but you weren’t bitten, right?” Jaebum asks hesitantly as they set off.

 

Jinyoung rolls up the bottom of his pants leg to show a bite-free ankle.

 

“I just had to–”

 

“It’s okay, I get it. You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t ask,” Jinyoung chuckles and pats Jaebum on the arm.

 

“Youngjae, where’s your bat?” Mark frowns.

 

Youngjae freezes, his hand grasping at air before Bambam holds it up.

 

“Here it is!”

 

“Alright, let’s go,” Jaebum nods and they’re all setting off for the path that they came from. Jaebum is the first to make it to the end of the field, but he stops to make sure that they get out safely. Youngjae sees him linger by the edge of the field for a moment, staring out at the safe house before he heaves a sigh and turns around.

 


	6. Part six

They’ve got a more than decent head start against the horde, but the hanging spectre of the very real possibility of the herd catching up with them and tearing them to pieces keeps everyone focused on moving as quickly as possible. Under normal circumstances that speed would be a dead sprint, but they’re greatly slowed down by Jinyoung’s injury and by Jackson having to carry him.

 

“Sorry about all this. You risked your life to save me–a complete stranger for most of you–and now you’re stuck lugging me around because I went and twisted my ankle,” Jinyoung sighs apologetically, shame splashed all over his face.

 

“If living people…won’t help each other…then what hope do we have…of taking this world back from the dead,” Jackson pants heavily as sweat rolls down his face.

 

“It’s been a while already, you should take a break and let me carry Jinyoung,” Jaebum frowns as he jogs beside Jackson with a hand on Jinyoung’s back.

 

“It’s…fine,” Jackson huffs out.

 

As he’s jogging along a bead of sweat rolls into one of his eyes. As he tries to blink it away he stumbles, tripping forward over his feet. Jaebum throws out a hand and tries to steady him, but the momentum is too much and Jackson goes crashing onto his face on the ground, Jinyoung sitting on top of him.

 

“Jackson! Are you alright?” Jaebum asks as he kneels down beside Jackson.

 

“Yeah, I’m just peachy,” Jackson coughs and spits out a mouthful of dirt as he pushes himself up. Mark wraps an arm around Jinyoung’s shoulders and helps him off of Jackson. When Jackson gets to his feet, Jaebum takes his chin in his hand and tilts his head this way and that way.

 

“Looks like you didn’t injure your face,” Jaebum murmurs. “What about your legs?”

 

“They’re fine, I’m not injured.”

 

“Good, now it’s time for you to take a break; I’ll carry Jinyoung. It would be really ironic if you pushed yourself too hard and got injured while carrying him and we really can’t afford that right now,” Jaebum says with a backward glance over his shoulder.

 

The rest of them turn and follow his gaze. Youngjae can’t see–or hear–anything coming over the horizon, but that doesn’t mean the threat isn’t there.

 

“Right,” Jackson sighs as he shakes out his legs. Jaebum nods and pats him on the shoulder before he crouches down and gestures for Jinyoung to get on. “I’ll take that bag back, Yugyeom.”

 

“It’s okay, I can carry it for a little while longer while you catch your breath. You’ve worked so hard already,” Yugyeom clutches the bag tightly to his chest. Jackson rolls his eyes with a huff, but a moment later he grins and ruffles the younger boy’s hair.

 

They probably only have about one more hour before the sun completely sets and night falls, so they keep pushing on until then, trying to put as much distance between them and the safe house. Youngjae can’t speak for the others, but his heart feels like it’s about to beat out of his chest with all the adrenaline that’s being pulsing through it today. Jaebum will almost certainly insist on taking first watch when they settle down for the night, but he might offer to take it with him; he doubts that he’ll be getting much sleep tonight. Even if he does manage to drift off from sheer exhaustion, all the pleasant thoughts in the world probably won’t be enough to ward off the nightmare he gets a glimpse of every time he blinks. He jumps a bit and stumbles on his feet when a hand closes over his.

 

“Relax, it’s just me,” Mark says with a sheepish smile.

 

“Oh, right,” Youngjae coughs slightly.

 

Mark opens and closes his mouth a few times before he seems to find the words he wants to say. “See, nothing ended up happening to us, to any of us,” he smiles as he gently squeezes Youngjae’s hand.

 

Youngjae lightly shakes off Mark’s hand. Mark blinks in surprise at that, but then he smiles softly as Youngjae reaches out and laces their fingers together. Youngjae clears his throat a bit, gathering up his courage before he speaks.

 

“Um, I don’t suppose–”

 

“Awww they’re holding hands. That is too cute.”

 

Youngjae jumps at the sound of Jackson’s voice and he looks up to see four pairs of eyes staring back at him. Jackson is cooing sweetly—if somewhat patronisingly—at them, Jinyoung tilts his head in consideration as he tries not to overbalance and fall off Jaebum’s back, Yugyeom grins and flashes him a thumbs up, but Bambam just gives their joined hands a sulky look. Youngjae can feel heat burning in his cheeks, but he doesn’t let go of Mark’s hand.

 

“Alright, you’ve had your time to gawk now leave them alone and let’s focus on moving forward,” Jaebum grunts.

 

Jackson sends them an ostentatious wink as he falls back to help push Jaebum forward, and he sends them another one as he and Jaebum pass them by. Youngjae shakes his head with a sigh, but Mark just chuckles. There are five other guys only a few feet away, but being at the back gives them a slight semblance of privacy and Mark uses it to lift their joined hands up to his lips and press a kiss onto the back of Youngjae’s hand. Youngjae smiles bashfully, his eyes shifting to make sure they’re not being watched before he steps up to Mark and pecks him on the lips. Mark grins and gives his hand a squeeze.

 

When the sky has turned a deep violet and the sun has sunk below the horizon, they finally stop and make camp. It’s difficult to see in the dark and the landscape tended to blur into an unremarkable blob of green and blue at any rate, but the place they’re at doesn’t seem familiar to Youngjae. It seems he’s not the only one who’s noticed.

 

“Have we gone a different route from the one we came by?” Yugyeom asks as he looks around the area.

 

“Yes, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem though. The sun set in that direction, which means west is that way and east is the other way. When the stars come out, I can find the North Star and get us properly orientated,” Jaebum says as he eases Jinyoung off his back and points this way and that.

 

“You really know exactly what you’re doing. Well done, leader,” Jackson nods with a slightly awed look on his face.

 

“Oh shut up, that’s just basic navigation,” Jaebum pushes his shoulder with a shy smile.

 

“Oh listen to him go on, ‘This is  _so_  basic because I’m just that awesome’. Tch, quit showing off, Jaebum,” Jackson makes a solemn face and presses his lips together, but he can’t hide the curling of his lips.

 

“Shut up, you,” Jaebum laughs, shoving his shoulder harder. Jackson grins.

 

“Ah, I’m so hungry, my stomach hurts,” Bambam moans as he eases himself to the ground. “Jinyoung, would you happen to have any food on you? I had to sacrifice the last of ours so I wouldn’t get eaten alive by the horde.”

 

“I should have something left, but it won’t be much,” Jinyoung mutters to himself as he shrugs off his bag and checks it. “I’ve got a few stale rice crackers and a can of tuna, but no can opener,” Jinyoung says as he holds up his supplies.

 

“We don’t need a can opener. Pass it here,” Jackson holds out his hand. Jinyoung passes it off, his eyebrows rising as Jackson puts the can on the ground and moves it back and forth several times. “There we go,” Jackson says triumphantly, turning over the can and squeezing it. To Youngjae’s surprise, the top pops open. “Don’t look so shocked. Brains and brawn, remember?” Jackson grins.

 

There’s only enough food for them to have one cracker each with a dollop of tuna on it. It’s not much, but Youngjae has to admit that it’s better than nothing. They supplement the meagre meal with water and the vitamins Jaebum found. The water goes a long way in tricking Youngjae’s stomach into thinking it’s full, but it also makes him feel bloated and vaguely nauseous. What he wouldn’t give for a cup of hot tea.

 

“We’re just about out of water. Is there a lake or stream or river nearby?” Mark turns to Jaebum.

 

Jaebum pulls out his map and gestures to Youngjae to pass him the penlight. “I recall there being a river not to far from…from the safe house. We might be able to find—Ah, here it is. Looks like we’re pretty close by and it won’t take us too far from our route back to Seoul.”

 

“Seoul? Is that where we’re going?” Jinyoung asks.

 

“For now, that’s the plan. Jackson and Youngjae here have an apartment there and we figured that we may as well head there and figure out a more long-term plan,” Jaebum nods.

 

“Jackson and Youngjae, eh? Well, it’s nice to finally be introduced,” Jinyoung chuckles slightly.

 

“Oh, right. I forgot to tell you everyone’s names,” Jaebum says a bit sheepishly.

 

“It’s okay, you were understandably preoccupied. So, we have Youngjae, Jackson, and…”

 

“I’m Yugyeom, it’s nice to meet you,” Yugyeom raises a hand.

 

“My name is Kunpimook Bhuwakul, but most people call me Bambam.”

 

“Pleased to meet you all. We didn’t really have the time for talk earlier, but I’d like to thank you all for risking your lives to save me. I’d be dead if it wasn’t for you,” Jinyoung says seriously as he bows at the waist.

 

“How long had you been up that tree anyway?” Jackson tilts his head.

 

“About five hours,” Jinyoung sighs.

 

Youngjae can’t suppress the shiver that runs through him. He only had to deal with a fraction of the horde for a grand total of about half an hour and he had a weapon and company to help him. He can’t even imagine how terrifying it must’ve been to have been surrounded by all of them with no way to escape or defend himself. The sight of dozens and dozens of hands reaching for him, the sound of dozens and dozens of mouths snapping at him…

 

“Are you okay?” Youngjae frowns in concern.

 

Jinyoung tries to smile but it only gets so far before it falls off his face. “To tell you the truth, there was a moment or two when I thought about giving up; you know, just putting an end to it all.”

 

Youngjae shivers again. Jaebum sits down beside Jinyoung and wraps an arm around his shoulder while Mark reaches out and takes one of his hands, squeezing it gently. Jinyoung smiles faintly.

 

“Somehow I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Maybe it’s because that is a really gruesome way to go or maybe it’s because I remembered that you two were on your way here and some part of me believed that you’d come for me,” Jinyoung shrugs, wiping his eye with the back of his hand.

 

“Oh God, please don’t cry. Everything’s alright now, come on,” Jackson pounces on Jinyoung, pulling him into a hug and holding him tightly.

 

“You’re crushing me,” Jinyoung half laughs, half chokes.

 

“Jinyoung, I’m almost afraid to ask, but what happened to Minjun and Junho and the rest?” Jaebum mutters with his free hand clenched into a fist in his lap.

 

Jinyoung huffs out a breath as Jackson releases him. “I couldn’t say. As far as I know, they never even showed up at the house,” he shakes his head.

 

“I honestly don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse,” Jaebum sighs as he runs a hand through his hair.

 

Jackson lays a hand on his shoulder and squeezes it gently. “Hey, don’t be afraid to hope. Look at what we managed to do today with such huge odds against us and tell me – tell yourself – that there’s still a chance your friends are alive.”

 

“They might not be dead,” Jaebum says with a watery smile.

 

“What was that?” Jackson leans into Jaebum.

 

“I guess they could still be alive,” Jaebum says bit more confidently.

 

“One more time, Jaebum.”

 

“It’s entirely possible that my friends are still alive,” Jaebum rolls his eyes, one part fondness and one part exasperation.

 

“There you go,” Jackson pats him on the back with a grin.

 

Youngjae takes a moment to appreciate how lucky they are to have formed a group with members that complement and balance each other out so well when a thought pops in his mind.

 

“Bambam and Yugyeom have been quiet for a while,” he frowns as he realises that he hasn’t heard either of their voices since the two of them introduced themselves to Jinyoung.

 

“Ah, they’re asleep,” Mark says softly as he gazes down at the two youngest members of their group. They’re both lying beside each other, their heads lying on their outstretched arms.

 

“They must’ve been exhausted, they didn’t even take out their blanket,” Jaebum mutters as he pulls it out and drapes it over them, tucking it under their bodies.

 

“Understandable; it’s been quite the day today,” Jackson yawns.

 

“That’s practically an understatement,” Youngjae says yawns as well, his joints cricking as he sits back to rest on his hands. “I’m really glad that everything worked out alright. Well, maybe they’re not alright, but they’re not as bad as they could be,” Youngjae muses.

 

“Well said,” Mark nods. “Who’s on first watch?”

 

“I feel like I should stay up,” Jaebum says even as he suppresses a yawn and rubs his eyes.

 

“You should sleep, I’ll take the first watch,” Jinyoung says. “Most of my day was spent either sitting in a tree or riding on someone’s back; I’m not the least bit tired.”

 

“You sure about that?” Jaebum frowns.

 

“Yes, I’m sure. Now, go to sleep. I’ll wake you in six hours.”

 

“Don’t hesitate to wake me if there’s trouble…” Jaebum mumbles as he lies down; he's asleep before he even finishes his sentence.

 

“Wake me too, okay Jinyoung?” Jackson sighs as he rolls out Jaebum’s blanket and throws it over the both of them before he covers them with his own blanket. “Thanks for the tip for staying warm.”

 

Youngjae feels his face heat up as Jackson throws a wink in his and Mark’s direction. Mark rolls his eyes as he bids Jackson goodnight.

 

“Come on then,” Mark gestures to the spot beside him with his head. Youngjae smiles slightly before he lies down, shifting to make himself comfortable under the blankets Mark throws over them. “What’s wrong? You look kind of uneasy,” Mark says with a concerned frown.

 

Youngjae fingers their blankets before he releases a long breath.

 

“Physically, I’m exhausted and can’t wait to sleep, but there’s a 90% chance that I’ll end up having an awful nightmare after what happened today. We all survived it, yes, but it very easily could’ve ended horribly for all of us.”

 

Mark chews on the inside of his cheek for a moment. Then he cups Youngjae’s cheek and leans in to kiss him.

 

“Well then…I guess…I’d better make sure that…you only think of good things…before you fall asleep,” Mark murmurs against Youngjae’s lips between kisses.

 

Youngjae feels some of the tension leech out of his body with each press of Mark’s lips, but he still sends glances over the other man’s head. It’s a new moon tonight, making it too dark to see much of anything, but Youngjae feels acutely aware of the fact that Jinyoung is awake and is only a few feet away at most.

 

“Youngjae,” Mark sighs with fond exasperation in his voice. Youngjae shrugs sheepishly. “Come on, turn over,” Mark’s hands guide him onto his side—his back to Jinyoung—as he snuggles up behind Youngjae once again, his chin resting in the crook of Youngjae’s neck. “Now close your eyes and focus on the sound of my voice,” Mark whispers, a hand wrapping around Youngjae’s waist as his finger trail idly over Youngjae’s stomach.

 

“Alright,” Youngjae whispers back, letting his eyes fall closed as Mark’s breath tickles the shell of his ear.

 

“Everyday I think of how happy I am that our paths crossed. You’re living proof that there’s still good left in this world. One day I am gonna find a skateboard and then I’ll show you all the tricks I know. You’ll watch them all, right? Maybe I’ll even find one big enough for the both of us. You’d like that right?”

 

“That’s right, you’re supposed to be taking me for a ride,” Youngjae pouts as he fiddles with the safety clasps of his knee pads.

 

“And I will, just let me show you one more trick first,” Mark grins as he pulls on a pair of black, leather fingerless gloves and hops back onto his skateboard. He kick-pushes all the way down the long stretch of pavement until he’s right in front of Youngjae, then he ducks down low and pulls the board up and over, clearing Youngjae’s body easily.

 

“That was amazing,” Youngjae claps as Mark turns the board around and takes a bow.

 

“You want to ride with me now?” Mark asks. Youngjae nods eagerly and jumps up. “Well, get on,” Mark holds his hand out for Youngjae to take.

 

The board automatically gets bigger when Youngjae takes Mark’s hand and steps onto it behind Mark, his arms wrapping around the other man’s waist.

 

“Hold on tight!” Mark grins over his shoulder before he’s pushing off again.

 

“Woooh! Ahhh! It’s so fast!” Youngjae laughs as the wind gets in his eyes.

 

“Put on your goggles then,” Mark calls over his shoulder– a pair of goggles that are the same shade of red as his hair are sitting on his face.

 

Youngjae moves one hand from Mark’s waist to pull his own pair of goggles out of his pocket and he puts them over his eyes.

 

“Where are we going?” Youngjae calls out as they pick up speed.

 

“To the stars!” Mark pumps a fist.

 

Youngjae’s arms hold Mark’s waist tighter as the board lifts off the ground, hovering for a moment, before it sends the two of them hurtling through the sky. It’s a long way down and they must be going faster than an aeroplane, but Youngjae laughs without a care as he rests his chin on Mark’s shoulder. They shoot through the sky, going up and up and up until they’re passing by the moon, the earth at their feet. The stars turn out to be too bright to get too close to, but they settle for taking a tour of the planets.

 

“Youngjae,” Mark looks over his shoulder.

 

“Hmm?” Youngjae hums as he watches in awe as bits of rock and ice move around Saturn.

 

“Youngjae,” Mark nudges his shoulder.

 

“Hmm?” Youngjae frowns.

 

Somewhere in the back of his mind Youngjae knows he’s dreaming, but he still feels a bit disoriented as his body turns until he’s horizontal and weighed down by gravity with Mark whispering into his ear. Youngjae finally jolts into alertness at the sensation of something wet tickling his neck.

 

“Good morning,” Mark smiles, pulling his lips away from Youngjae’s neck.

 

“Morning,” Youngjae yawns.

 

“Slept well?”

 

“Yeah,” Youngjae smiles sleepily.

 

“You know, I’m happy for you guys and all—don’t get me wrong here—but I don’t know how much more couple-y behaviour I can endure,” Jinyoung groans. “Speaking of which, can I suggest a new rule: Jackson and Jaebum aren’t allowed to take watch together.”

 

“What do you mean?” Youngjae asks as he sits up and rubs the last vestiges of sleep out of his eyes.

 

“I’ll spare you since you managed to sleep through it,” Jinyoung says gravely.

 

Youngjae turns to Mark, but he’s already hunched over Yugyeom and Bambam, shaking them awake. Easing himself to his feet, Youngjae trudges over to where Jaebum and Jackson are huddled under blankets and tilts his head at them. Jaebum is lying on his back with ones arm folded behind his head and the other curled around Jackson’s shoulder as Jackson lies with his head on the other man’s chest. It occurs to Youngjae then that he’s never seen Jaebum asleep in the morning, that this is the first time he’s been awake before him when Youngjae wasn’t on watch.

 

“Jaebum? Jackson?” Youngjae shakes them both by the shoulder.

 

Jackson is the first to stir, his eyes slowly blinking open as his right arm stretches up to the sky, a yawn escaping his mouth. Jaebum groans lowly in his throat as Jackson’s movements disturb him, turning his head and burying his face in Jackson’s hair with his eyes clenched shut.

 

“Uh, Jaebum?”

 

At the sound of his voice, a pair of eyes peeks out from behind the curtain of Jackson’s hair. For a few seconds, Jaebum blinks dazedly, until he finally seems to wake up and his eyes widen in his head, a hint of red rising in his cheeks.

 

“Good morning,” Youngjae chuckles as Jaebum throws a hand over his eyes.

 

“I certainly had a good night,” Jackson grins.

 

“Did I say suggest? I meant dictate. I’m dictating a new rule.” Jinyoung grumbles.

 

Jaebum pushes Jackson off him with a groan, rolling onto his knees and pushing himself up onto his feet, his back to the three of them.

 

“Let’s just get our stuff together and find that river,” he coughs slightly as he brushes dirt off his knees.

 

 

 

 

“Can anybody hear running water yet?” Bambam asks an hour later as they’re trekking along.

 

“It’s not a huge river or anything, so it might be difficult to hear until we’re right on top of it,” Jaebum says.

 

“Ah, I’m so parched,” Bambam sighs.

 

“Keep quiet for a while and you might not feel so thirsty,” Jaebum says pointedly. Bambam pouts.

 

“I’ve got a bit of water left,” Mark offers. “It’s barely more than a mouthful, but it’s better than nothing.”

 

“No, that’s fine,” Bambam says sulkily.

 

“If you’re that thirsty then you should take it,” Youngjae says with furrowed brows.

 

Bambam sighs before he holds his hand out to Mark and takes the bottle from him and downs the last of his water.

 

“Thanks,” he mumbles before he hands the bottle back.

 

Youngjae raises an eyebrow at the younger boy’s attitude, turning to Mark with a frown. Mark just shakes his head with a little smile. Youngjae’s curious as to what he knows but isn’t telling, but he lets it go and focuses on finding the river.

 

“Can we pause for a second? I need to take a leak,” Jackson calls over his shoulder as his jogs off the side of the path.

 

“Why even ask if you’re doing it anyw—Jackson!” Jaebum cries out as the other man goes crashing through the ground. Youngjae freezes in shock before he too is running off to where the other man fell.

 

“What happened? Are you alright?” Yugyeom coughs as he waves away the dust drifting up around the hole.

 

Squinting down, Youngjae can make out Jackson shifting around on the floor in pain. He blinks in surprise as he sees a rung of metal right by the edge of the hole glinting in the sun.

 

“Erg! Oh God, that fucking hurt,” Jackson groans. “Man, what is this place?”

 

“Is that a ladder leading down?” Jinyoung points to the metal Youngjae is eyeing.

 

“Looks so. Jackson, I’m coming down after you,” Jaebum calls out as he grips the metal and slowly climbs down.

 

“Oh wow, that actually worked!” Jackson exclaims to himself as light suddenly floods the hole. With the extra light, Youngjae can see that the floor below is tiled and the surrounding walls are white.

 

“Is this a bomb shelter or something?” Jaebum asks when he gets to the bottom of the ladder and takes a look around.

 

“What is it? What’s down there?” Bambam asks as he leans Youngjae’s shoulder to peer down the hole.

 

“Can we come down and take a look?” Yugyeom asks as he peers over Youngjae’s other shoulder.

 

“Just wait a minute. There’s a door leading somewhere and I don’t know what’s behind it. The rest of you stay up there; Jackson and I will make sure it’s safe,” Jaebum calls up the hole before he and Jackson heft their weapons and disappear.

 

“I can’t wait for them to finish so we can check it out,” Bambam says as he rubs his hands together.

 

“Are you cold?” Jinyoung asks.

 

“His home country is so warm and he’s not yet used to winters here,” Yugyeom speaks up.

 

“Where are you from, by the way? You never said.”

 

“Thailand,” Bambam says.

 

“Oh, cool. What brought you all the way to Korea anyway?”

 

Bambam opens his mouth to answer, but he’s beaten to the punch by Jackson.

 

“It’s clear! You can all come down now!”

 

“Finally!” Bambam grins as he all but flies down the ladder, the previous topic of conversation pushed out of his mind. Yugyeom is quick to follow. Jinyoung shakes his head and chuckles at their antics.

 

“Do you need help going down?” Mark asks Jinyoung.

 

“Nah, I can still do this much on my own,” Jinyoung shakes his head. He takes his time, but he makes it down on his own with no problems.

 

“You first,” Mark flashes a smile at Youngjae as he gestures to the ladder. It’s kind of ridiculous to have a reaction to such a simple action, but Youngjae finds himself grinning like an idiot anyway.

 

When he makes it down the ladder, Youngjae finds himself in a passageway just wide enough to fit three people across, leading to an open steel door. Through the doorway, Youngjae can see what looks to be a makeshift living room, complete with a sofa that Jackson is lounging on, a desk and chair, and a bookcase. Further down is a small kitchen with a counter with a sink, cupboards, and even a refrigerator. Beside the kitchen counter there is another doorway.

 

“What’s powering the lights?” Mark asks as he steps beside Youngjae, looking around in disbelief.

 

“Who cares?” Bambam calls out from the room behind the wooden door. “By the way, I call dibs on the bed!”

 

“There’s a bed?” Jackson jumps off the sofa.

 

“Yeah, and even an en suite bathroom,” Yugyeom peeks his head through the doorway.

 

“Hang on a second, let’s all calm down. Jackson, Bambam, Yugyeom, come back to the main room. We all need to talk,” Jaebum says authoritatively.

 

“What’s to talk about? It’s a bit cramped with seven of us, but this is a great place to make a base,” Jinyoung says as he props his feet up on the pull out extension of the sofa.

 

“Yeah, it is a great place; one that clearly belongs to somebody else. It’s not like a furnished underground shelter just springs up on its own,” Jaebum says. Mark runs his finger over the top of the bookcase and the kitchen counter.

 

“There’s a layer of dust on everything. If someone was here before then it must’ve been a while ago,” Mark says thoughtfully as he brushes the dust off his finger.

 

Jaebum chews the inside of his lip in thought.

 

“Is there any food in the cupboard?” he asks. Youngjae’s stomach churns and his mouth waters as Mark opens the cupboard doors to reveal shelves of canned food.

 

“Food,” Yugyeom moans.

 

“Is there anything in the fridge?” Bambam asks.

 

“Yeah, it’s more canned food, surprisingly,” Mark says as he opens the fridge and surveys its contents.

 

“What about running water?” Jaebum asks.

 

Mark turns on the tap, jumping a bit as it gurgles loudly before clear water runs through the head. He washes the remaining dust off his hand and then turns the tap off.

 

“Come on, Jaebum. This place is perfect. What are you so wary about?” Jackson groans.

 

“I thought the safe house would be perfect too,” Jaebum says quietly. Jackson’s mouth shuts with a snap. “If another herd find us here we wouldn’t even be able to run away,” he says bitterly as he leans against a wall. Mark crosses the room and lays a hand on his shoulder.

 

“We weren’t expecting a herd that big before, but we are now and that makes the difference. We can prepare, can find a way to put up defences to protect ourselves,” Mark says firmly.

 

“He’s right, Jaebum. There’s no guarantee that we’ll make it to Seoul in one piece, or that the place we’re going to hasn’t been overrun already, and the last thing any of us need to be stuck out in the elements when winter comes,” Jinyoung says from his place on the sofa.

 

“I think we should stay,” Youngjae speaks up. “There’s a water source nearby and we could hunt and fish to supplement the supply of canned food so it lasts longer. The days are getting shorter yet; it’ll take even longer to get back to Seoul than it did to get out here.”

 

“Please, Jaebum. It’s so warm down here and I can’t take the cold outside. I might turn into a human popsicle before we find another place to stay,” Bambam pleads.

 

“If we stay here, then we wouldn’t be constantly on the lookout for danger. We could all sleep through the night without taking shifts,” Yugyeom adds with a hopeful look on his face.

 

“We made it through the first horde when we were completely unprepared. Even if another one comes again, we’ll be ready for it,” Jackson says seriously. “So, what do you say, leader? Do we wait out the winter here?”

 

Yugyeom and Bambam turn to Jaebum with pleading expressions, hope shining in their eyes. Jaebum chews on the inside of his cheek as he stares down at his feet before he looks at everyone in turn.

 

“First thing’s first, we need to do something to fence off the area before we get comfortable down here,” Jaebum says at last.

 

“Yes! Dibs on the bed!” Bambam jumps up.

 

“Hey, I’m injured, I should get the bed,” Jinyoung pouts.

 

“We’ll all get a turn to sleep on the bed,” Jaebum says calmly. “There are seven of us and seven days in a week.”

 

“What day is today?” Mark stares thoughtfully at the ceiling.

 

Silence reigns in the shelter for a moment as the seven of them blink at each other.

 

“My watch tells the date but not the day of the week,” Youngjae says with a frown at his wrist. “Is there a calendar around here?’

 

“Found one,” Jaebum says as he pulls open the desk drawer. What’s the date?”

 

“Uh, apparently it’s the 15th of November,” Youngjae says as he fumbles with the settings on his watch.

 

“Our exam was last week, Bambam,” Yugyeom sighs wistfully.

 

“The 15th of November…so today is Tuesday,” Jaebum says with a finger on the calendar. “Alright, how do we assign the days?”

 

“Rock, paper, scissors?” Jackson suggests.

 

“How about the ladder game?” Youngjae asks.

 

“Good idea, Youngjae,” Jaebum smiles.

 

Jackson pouts. “What was wrong with my idea?”

 

“Nothing, Youngjae just had a better one,” Jaebum shrugs. Jackson’s pout deepens. “Oh, don’t be like that. You can have first pick if you want,” Jaebum says as he draws up a ladder with the days of the week at the bottom and seven dots at the top.

 

“Alright, I suppose I forgive you,” Jackson grins. Jinyoung rolls his eyes.

 

Youngjae doesn’t really get what the big fuss is about getting a particular day since they’ll all get a turn anyway so he lets Bambam, Yugeyom and Jinyoung take the draw before him. As it turns out, Jackson gets Sunday, Bambam gets Thursday, Yugeyom gets Friday, Jinyoung gets Wednesday, Youngjae gets Tuesday, Mark gets Monday, and Jaebum is left with Saturday by default.

 

“Hey, Youngjae, wanna switch?” Jackson wraps an arm around his shoulder.

 

“No switching, just stick with the day you drew,” Jaebum says firmly.

 

“Aww…Oh well, there’s still the sofa,” Jackson brightens.

 

“Should we draw for that too?” Mark asks.

 

“How about this: the person whose turn it is to sleep on the bed next gets the sofa. So, Jinyoung, you get it tonight, Bambam gets it tomorrow night and so on,” Jaebum suggests.

 

“Sounds good to me,” Jinyoung says.

 

“I can live with that,” Bambam nods.

 

“So, I’m still fucked over. Great,” Jackson sighs.

 

“I got Monday, I’ll have to wait even longer than you,” Mark points out.

 

“Maybe your assigned day is Monday, but I think you’ll get a turn on the bed long before that, if you catch my drift,” Jackson smiles greasily, nudging Mark with his elbow.

 

Youngjae buries his burning face in his hands. He’s technically underground already, but he feels like digging himself a bit deeper—like the centre of the earth.

 

“Just make sure you keep it down, okay. A closed door can only muffle so much.”

 

“You would know,” Jinyoung grumbles. Jackson blows him a kiss.

 

“Alright, alright, that’s enough of that,” Jabeum claps his hands. Bambam mutters his agreement. “Time to get the area secured.”

 

“Can’t we eat first?” Yugyeom whines.

 

“Fine, but make it quick, that hole’s still open.”

 

“It isn’t. It was a hatch door and I closed it behind me when I came down,” Mark speaks up.

 

“Oh, well that’s good. Hurry up, still,” Jaebum says to Yugyeom as the younger boy practically skips over to the cupboards.

 

After the seven of them quickly scarf down several cans of tuna, black beans, and kimchi, they make their way back through the passageway and up the ladder, Jaebum going first to make sure the coast is clear. A shiver wracks Youngjae’s body once he climbs through. Somehow the air outside feels even colder now that he’s gotten to experience warmth again.

 

“So, what kind of defence are we looking to make?” Jinyoung asks as he looks around.

 

“A fence?” Yugyeom suggests, but the look on his face indicates him regretting and rejecting that idea the second it leaves his mouth. “On second thought, maybe not a fence,” he says sheepishly.

 

“How about something like a fence, but not so easily overwhelmed by force? Something that can stand on its own and pushes back?” Youngjae says thoughtfully.

 

“You mean something like a cheval de fries?” Mark’s eyes widen with interest.

 

“A  _what_?” Jackson blinks.

 

“A cheval de fries, it’s a medieval defence measure that has long iron or wooden spikes sticking out of it,” Mark explains.

 

“Ohhhh that does sound good. Even if they surrounded us, they’d just get impaled and we could pick them off easily!”

 

“Do you even know how to make a chevy-whatever-it-is?” Bambam says doubtfully.

 

“No, but we don’t have to make an exact replica, just something similar to it.”

 

“Having wooden spikes lining the area sounds like a good start. We might not be able to finish it today, but we can get started,” Jaebum nods.

 

“I’ll go see if there’s anything to chop wood in the shelter and to dig holes,” Mark says as he climbs down the ladder.

 

The second he disappears, Jaebum rounds on Bambam.

 

“Whatever your issue is with Mark, you need to get over it,” he says bluntly.

 

“Issue? What issue? I don’t know what you mean?” Bambam sputters.

 

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed how churlish you’ve been with him lately and I think I know why,” Jaebum says pointedly. Youngjae blinks in surprise as Jaebum’s eyes flit over to him for a second. “I’m telling you to get over it. We’re all each other have out here. Even with our new shelter, we need our teamwork to be perfect to stay alive.”

 

Bambam’s mouth opens and closes silently a few times before he sighs and nods his head.

 

“Good,” Jaebum pats him on the shoulder.

 

“Good news, I found an axe and two trowels,” Mark calls up the ladder.

 

“Excellent, on top of making our defence we now have another potential weapon to use,” Jaebum grins.

 

“Pass the axe up,” Jackson holds his hand down the hole. “ _Yes_ , it’s time to chop some wood!” Jackson poses with the axe, flexing his arms and making ridiculous faces. Youngjae couldn’t hold back the laugh that burst out of him even if he tried.

 

“Alright, let’s split up into two teams: the wood-chopping team and the hole digging team. Jinyoung, you’re injured, so you stay here and be on the digging team; Mark and Bambam will join you. The rest of you are on the chopping team with me,” Jaebum says.

 

“But there’s only one axe,” Yugyeom frowns in confusion.

 

“Yes and we’ll take turns with it when the person who’s been chopping needs to rest. Plus, we’ll also need to carry the logs back over here.”

 

“Ah, this sounds really exhausting,” Yugyeom sighs.

 

“It will be, and we definitely won’t finish today, but the sooner we start it is the sooner we’ll finish it. Let’s go.”

 

The four of them set off to the nearby trees, leaving the others behind as they debate how deep to dig the holes and how wide the defence should be. Once they get out of earshot, Youngjae sidles up to Jaebum and tugs on his sleeve. Jaebum turns to him with raised eyebrows.

 

“What problem does Bambam have with Mark?” Youngjae says softly, taking care not to be overheard by Jackson and Yugyeom who are just a few paces behind them.

 

Jaebum stares at him for a moment before he shakes his head with a smile.

 

“Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t anything serious, and at any rate it won’t be a problem after today.”

 

Youngjae isn’t entirely satisfied by that answer, but he lets it go.

 

It feels like they only have enough time to turn around twice with how quickly the day passes while they work. Chopping down trees and moving them turned out to be even harder and more tiring than it sounded; by the time the sky is turning violet they’ve only managed to chop down two and carry one over to their new base. The digging team ends up faring a bit better but not too much, the hard-packed dirt is even more difficult to get through with the cold hardening it. After they pop open some more cans and fill their stomachs, they work out a shower rota. Although the water in the pipes is freezing cold, Youngjae feels refreshed when he steps under it as he washes away not only the day’s work, but weeks and weeks of grime.

 

It turned out that there is a trunk at the foot of the bed. Inside it there’s an unopened pack of underwear, an unopened pack of white t-shirts, and an unopened pack of socks. Youngjae felt a weird flutter in his stomach when Jaebum opened the packs and divided the spoils, but it’s not like he wasn’t glad for something clean to wear, so he didn’t say anything. As he burrows beneath the covers and waits for Mark to finish his turn in the shower, Youngjae explores the drawers of the bedside table. The first drawer is the smallest one of all and it contains nothing but an equally small Bible. The second has a roll of deodorant, some dental floss and a pack of tissues. Youngjae sits up a bit when he finds a radio in the last one.

 

“What’s that you’re fiddling with, Youngjae?” Mark’s voice enters the room as he returns from the bathroom clad in nothing but a towel.

 

Youngjae nearly drops the radio he’s holding.

 

“Oh, sorry, I was so excited to get clean that I forgot to grab a change of clothes before I went in,” Mark smiles sheepishly.

 

“No, no, it’s alright, I was just surprised is all. You go ahead and change,” Youngjae sputters as he turns his body to face the opposite wall, his face getting warm.

 

“Uh, so what were you looking at?”

 

When Youngjae turns back Mark is dressed in white t-shirt and underwear. They provide more coverage than the towel, but not a whole lot. Youngjae forces himself not to gawk at the other man any longer, re-focusing his mind on the question Mark asked him.

 

“Oh, it’s a radio,” Youngjae holds it up.

 

“Really? I don’t suppose there’s anything being broadcast is there?” Mark asks, looking hopeful and doubtful at the same time.

 

“No, just static,” Youngjae says mournfully as he moves the dial.

 

“Oh well, it was worth a shot,” Mark smiles ruefully.

 

“Yeah,” Youngjae sighs as he puts it back in the bedside table drawer.

 

“Was that all or has something else got you looking so down?” Mark asks as he climbs into bed next to Youngjae, getting close enough for Youngjae to feel his body heat radiating from his skin.

 

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we found this place, but just sitting here makes me feel so unnerved,” Youngjae mumbles as he rubs his legs under the covers.

 

“Why’s that?” Mark frowns.

 

“It’s just that whoever owns—owned—this place had clearly been preparing for a major disaster for a long time, but they didn’t even end up benefiting from having it,” Youngjae chews the inside of his lip. “How is it that they ended up perishing while I’m still alive? Me, who was only the least bit prepared to wait out the worst because of my parents. Me, who only managed to survive at first by depending on other people.”

 

“You don’t know they’re dead for sure,” Mark frowns.

 

“Wouldn’t they be here if they were still alive?”

 

“They might even have been in the country when it happened. Anyway you can’t torture yourself with thoughts like that. Let’s just take each day as it comes, focus on staying alive, and trying to enjoy it while we do, okay?” Mark bumps their shoulders together with a tentative smile.

 

“Right,” Youngjae smiles slightly.

 

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. I can’t believe I get to sleep through the night in a soft, warm bed right next to you tonight. It’s like something out of a dream,” Mark sighs happily as he slumps onto the mattress.

 

Youngjae chuckles and he flops down beside the other man. He can’t help the nervous fluttering in his stomach and the tension in his body with Mark so close to him while the both of them are so undressed—and on a bed of all things—but he tamps it down and closes his eyes, letting his fatigue overtake him. Mark’s skin is so warm, even though he’s just taken a cold shower, and he smells so clean and comforting, that it only takes about ten breaths before Youngjae drifts off.


	7. Part seven

“I still think this is a bad idea,” Youngjae shivers. His lips are too frozen to open fully and the chattering of his teeth garbles the words somewhat, but he’s been repeating the same thing for long enough for Jinyoung to understand what he means anyway.

 

“So you say, and yet you’ve insisted on following me this whole way,” Jinyoung scoffs over his shoulder.

 

“Well, it’s not like I could just let you go and walk into a death-trap all by yourself,” Youngjae frowns.

 

“For the last time, I’m just gonna see if the safe house is still overrun or not,” Jinyoung heaves a long suffering sigh. “It’s a simple reconnaissance mission. If it is overrun then there’s nothing that can be done about that, but if it’s not then there are supplies that we can salvage and every little bit helps—especially in the winter.”

 

“If you’re really just planning on looking then why keep it a secret from Jaebum?”

 

Jinyoung gives him an incredulous look as Youngjae lengthens his strides to catch up to him.

 

“Okay, I admit it, that was kind of a silly question,” Youngjae says a bit sheepishly.

 

That much Youngjae can understand. As far as everyone else is concerned, the whole thing managed to work itself out with them finding the underground shelter, but five weeks later, the safe house is still a sore subject for Jaebum. Bringing it up again when there might not be anything good to report would do nothing but reopen the wound unnecessarily.

 

“But still, why try to go alone? We’re not supposed to go anywhere beyond the defences by ourselves. Plus, I never expected  _you_  of all people to want to go back there by yourself again.”

 

“Well, I’m not alone, now am I?” Jinyoung wraps an arm around Youngjae’s neck with a smile. “Us country boys need to stick together, yeah?” Jinyoung slips into satoori.

 

“Mokpo and Jinhae are on opposite sides of the country, what the hell do they have to do with each other?” Youngjae wraps his arm around Jinyoung’s waist as he throws his head back in a laugh, also slipping into his native dialect.

 

“Heads up, we’ve got a few friends coming to greet us,” Jinyoung gestures to the dead stumbling towards them.

 

The bad thing about it being so cold is that being bundled up layers restricts freedom of movement. The good thing about it being so cold is that it seems to slow down the dead as well. It makes Youngjae curious about their metabolism and how they function. Do they actually need to eat because of some base animalistic compulsion? If they do need to eat then how long can they go hungry? Can they starve? The only real way to know would be to keep one around as an experiment, but that’s not the type of thing Youngjae would want to do even if Jaebum would give him permission.

 

“You know, I was a bit surprised to see that Mark had given up his baseball bat to someone else, but I can see why. You’re really good with it,” Jinyoung comments after Youngjae quickly takes the four of them out.

 

“I wasn’t always,” Youngjae says as he gets rid of the half-frozen blood on the end of it with a swing. “I know you’ve had to get resourceful while you were travelling alone, but I still can’t believe you came out here armed with nothing but a trowel.”

 

“Jaebum would notice and ask questions if I tried to take the axe out, but not only can I hide a trowel on my person, it’s also very lightweight despite being quite sturdy,” Jinyoung holds it up proudly.

 

“You want to take that one on your right or should I?” Youngjae nods his head in the direction of the approaching dead.

 

“I’ve got it,” Jinyoung says as he jogs up to it, quickly swerving to the right and lunging. Jinyoung yanks the trowel out of its temple and it crumples motionlessly to the ground.

 

In addition to the five dead that they’ve just taken care of, Youngjae and Jinyoung have also had encounters a few scattered stragglers earlier on. The number of dead stumbling around seems to increases the closer they get to their destination, just like it did the last time. It also seems to take another three weeks to get there as the two of them trudge through the cold air, the dirty snow crunching beneath their feet as they go. By the time they finally get to the line of trees that make up the forest around the house, they crouch down, watching the dead stumble in the snow.

 

“You’ve got Yugyeom’s binoculars on you, right?” Jinyoung asks, his eyes on the woods.

 

“Yeah, right here,” Youngjae pulls them out of his bag and holds them up to his eyes. “It’s too far to really see anything from here.”

 

“So, we’re going to have to get closer,” Jinyoung frowns.

 

“That might not be such a good idea,” Youngjae says as he eyes the restless dead among the trees.

 

“It would be such a waste to come all this way and not even find out what we want to know,” Jinyoung clicks his tongue. “Let’s just move quickly and carefully, survey the field, and then head back.”

 

“Right,” Youngjae nods before he dashes off in a crouch, darting around trees and heading deeper into the woods.

 

There are a number of dead still lingering in the woods, but they’re so spread out that it isn’t too difficult for Youngjae and Jinyoung to either take care of them or avoid them as the two of them make their way to the edge of the field. The sound of their shoes crunching in the snow and the thud of the dead hitting the ground seemed to have alerted the rest of them in the woods because Youngjae notices a few more of them turning and ambling towards their direction. Lifting the binoculars to his eyes once more, Youngjae quickly looks over the field in front of him, the area around the safe house, the crest of the hill behind it, and what he can see of the woods on either side of it. He’s unsurprised but still a bit disappointed to find that his and Yugyeom’s fishing line trap has been breeched.

 

“Let me have a look. You start clearing a way back,” Jinyoung taps him on the shoulder.

 

Youngjae hands him the binoculars and hefts his bat. There are about six on his left and ten on his right hobbling over where the two of them are, but they’re far away enough that Youngjae decides to keep an eye on them as Jinyoung takes his turn with the binoculars. It wouldn’t be good to burn up his energy unnecessarily and get overheated when they still have a ways to go to get back.

 

“Alright, let’s go,” Jinyoung jumps to his feet and pockets the binoculars.

 

The two of them head off, dodging and weaving through the trees to avoid their moaning pursers. They make it back to the road without any trouble, but silently agree to keep up a quick jog both to prevent the dead from following them and to keep themselves warmed up and better ready to defend themselves.

 

“So, what do you think?” Jinyoung huffs as he wipes a bead of sweat off his forehead.

 

“Well, there were quite a lot of them still hanging around, but we might be able to handle it as a group, especially now that they get even slower in the cold. The prospect of that isn’t what’s got me concerned,” Youngjae says.

 

Jinyoung gives him an encouraging nod.

 

“What I don’t like is how we can’t know if any of them got inside the house and most of us haven’t even gone inside so we don’t know the layout,” Youngjae bites his lip.

 

“Fair enough,” Jinyoung hums.

 

“Plus, is the reward really worth the risk?”

 

“I think so. If we’re really diligent then we might be able to just about survive on what provisions we do have left, but I think it’s important to have a little bit more than you need when it comes to food in these conditions. It becomes especially important in the winter when we won’t even be able to get much hunting done until spring.”

 

“Yeah, I suppose I agree with that.”

 

“And even though we’ve all gotten used to being cold and sleeping on the floor, a couple of extra niceties can go a long way in keeping us from being miserable while we’re living on top of each other in our little underground space,” Jinyoung says reasonably.

 

“I have to say that my appreciation of our shelter has shot up since I’ve gone on this trek with you,” Youngjae chuckles as he rubs his hands together.

 

“And why should we deny the others a similar experience?” Jinyoung rests his hands on his hips with feigned indignance.

 

A couple of ridiculous sounding huffs escape Youngjae as he tries to balance his need for oxygen to laugh louder and to keep up his jog.

 

“Alright, you’ve got me on board with this idea,” Youngjae coughs.

 

“So that’s a five to seven vote at least,” Jinyoung nods to himself.

 

“Huh, how so?” Youngjae frowns.

 

“There’s me and you, Mark will be in favour of it because you’re in favour of it, Jackson will insist we go tomorrow because he hates being idle and he’ll nudge Jaebum into agreeing. That’s at least five in favour of it,” Jinyoung counts it off on his fingers. “Yugyeom is so moody these days that he could go either way and Bambam probably wouldn’t want to come along because  _it’s too cold_ ,” Jinyoung whines in an impression of the younger boy’s voice.

 

“It  _is_  really cold though,” Youngjae winces as he rubs his hands together. He packed a pair of gloves before he left his and Jackson’s apartment in Seoul, but they’ve experienced considerable wear as they’ve been passed around among the seven of them and they weren’t exactly the most study pair of gloves to begin with.

 

“True, but I’m not gonna stop giving him crap for it,” Jinyoung shrugs offhandedly. Youngjae shakes his head with a chuckle.

 

By the time they get back to base the sun is hanging very low in the sky, the air’s temperature dropping even more. The two of them are greeted by a lone figure twitching and writhing on the sharp spikes of their defence system. A phantom ache runs through Youngjae’s hands every time he looks at them and is reminded of how much work went into making it–gathering the wood, getting them secured into the ground around the entrance to their shelter, sharpening the edges into points. With sunset quickly approaching, Youngjae figures everyone else is already inside and doubts that they’ll be resurfacing before sunrise, so he and Jinyoung set about killing it and moving it to the pile with the other dead and the refrigerator they took out to make space in the shelter.

 

“What are we going to do about those things in the long term? It’s too cold for them to rot now, but eventually spring and then summer will come and then we’re gonna have a problem,” Jinyoung brushes the dirt off his hands on his jeans.

 

“I think we should just burn them,” Youngjae says as he eases past the spikes and knocks on the spot where the hatch opens.

 

“I don’t care what we end up going with so long as I don’t have to dig any more holes,” Jinyoung grimaces.

 

“Where were you guys? You’ve been gone most of the day,” Yugyeom frowns as he peaks up through the now open hole.

 

“We’ll tell you in a minute,” Jinyoung gestures for him to go down the ladder.

 

The passage isn’t heated by anything but their breath and their bodies, but it feels like a sauna compared to outside. The relative warmth makes Youngjae and Jinyoung sigh in contentment once they get inside and close the hatch behind them. Bambam is huddled against a wall in the passageway with his blanket covering his lower body. He’s got the page of a book marked in his lap and waits for Yugyeom to rejoin him before he continues reading it. Through the open door to their shared living area Youngjae can see Mark and Jaebum having a quiet conversation on the sofa. It’s a Sunday—and Christmas too, apparently—and so Jackson is probably already lounging in bed. Jaebum looks up and beckons for Jinyoung and Youngjae to join him and Mark.

 

“Well, your message said you were going to hunt down some supplies, but you’re not carrying anything with you.”

 

Youngjae suppresses the impulse to cover his body as Jaebum’s sharp eyes scan them.

 

“The funny thing is you both look pretty tired and sweaty, so where were you today and what were you really doing?” Jaebum asks as he crosses his arms across his chest and leans back into the sofa.

 

“Simple reconnaissance,” Jinyoung answers. Jaebum narrows his eyes. “We went back to the safe hou—” Jaebum sucks in a breath and blinks as if he’s been slapped, “—not inside mind you. We stayed as far away as possible and checked out the landscape with binoculars to see if the herd had scattered enough for us to go back and salvage anything from inside.”

 

“The good thing is that while there are still a bunch of the dead around, their numbers didn’t seem like too much for us to handle,” Youngjae speaks up.

 

“Youngjae and I chewed it over on the way back and we both agreed that it was worth a shot,” Jinyoung finishes.

 

“It doesn’t seem like a bad idea, Jaebum,” Mark lays a hand on Jaebum’s shoulder, drawing his attention. “At any rate it couldn’t hurt to take a look. If we go and you think there’s too many of them for us to handle and that it’s too dangerous to risk, then we’ll come back. We wouldn’t be losing anything just to look and it could give us a chance to get some fresh air and stretch our legs. How’s that sound?”

 

“Ah, you make it sound so reasonable,” Jaebum sighs as he rests his head in his hand.

 

“Because it is,” Mark smiles cutely.

 

Jaebum rolls his eyes but his lips are quirking upwards.

 

“Fine, we’ll take a look and maybe go in and scavenge,” Jaebum nods. “I doubt it even as I ask, but were there any signs that the dead had gotten inside?”

 

“None that I could see,” Youngjae shakes his head.

 

“Me either,” Jinyoung says.

 

“That doesn’t mean they haven’t though. If we do end up going inside, we’d have to be extra careful.”

 

The three of them nod.

 

“Jaebum, you wouldn’t need all of us to go on this mission since some of us still don’t have proper weapons, right? Someone ought to stay behind and watch the shelter and make sure no-one else comes along and takes it, right?” Bambam peaks his head around the door.

 

Jaebum gives him a withering glare.

 

“I was just asking,” he holds his hands up defensively as retreats.

 

“When were you thinking of going?” Jaebum asks.

 

“Going where?” Jackson’s voice enters the room.

 

“Good timing, this concerns you as well,” Jaebum smiles indulgently as Jackson plops himself on the sofa between Mark and Jaebum and rests his head on Jaebum’s shoulder. “We’re going to go back to the safe house and see if we can salvage any supplies.”

 

“Oh, really?” Jackson lifts his head. “What are we looking to find?”

 

“Food is definitely our top priority, but we’ll look out for anything useful that we could carry back.”

 

“Even if we still have to sleep on the floor most nights, it would be nice to have a pillow,” Youngjae sighs wistfully.

 

“Will there be clothes in the safe house? And soap?” Bambam peaks his head around the door again.

 

“If you want something, you’re going to have to come and get it yourself,” Jaebum shrugs nonchalantly.

 

“Will they be there though? I don’t want to walk all that way for nothing,” Bambam pouts.

 

“I don’t know about clothes, but there should definitely be toiletries.”

 

“Ah, It’s been ages since I’ve had a good and proper wash,” Jinyoung moans as he runs a hand through his hair.

 

“I’d be glad if I could brush my teeth again,” Mark mumbles to himself.

 

Youngjae smiles as he briefly gets lost in the memory of the day he first met the other man. Mark catches his eye and he grins as if he’s having the same thoughts.

 

“So, we leave first thing tomorrow then?” Jackson asks as he lays his head back on Jaebum’s shoulder.

 

“Looks so,” Jaebum nods.

 

“Great,” Jackson grins. “Jinyoung, Youngjae, hurry up and shower. Jaebum still needs to give me my Christmas present,” he winks up at Jaebum whose ears are rapidly turning red.

 

“Forget food, clean sheets are the top thing on my agenda. Hell, I’ll carry a cot back if I can just so I never have to use that bed ever again,” Jinyoung grumbles as he stalks off to the shower.

 

Although Younjae doesn’t feel quite as strongly as Jinyoung does about Jaebum and Jackson…being intimate, he does wish they would at least try to keep the noise level down. Some of his reasons probably differ from Jinyoung’s though.

 

After a quick rinse with water that is freezing cold, Youngjae throws on his sleeping clothes and heads back to the living area. As is customary for him, he turns on the radio and searches through the different frequencies for any sign of life.

 

“Hear anything today?” Mark yawns slightly as he makes himself comfortable on the sofa.

 

“No, nothing yet,” Youngjae frowns as he fiddles with the dial, easing himself down on the floor in front of the sofa. “You know Einstein said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results; do you think that I’ve gone insane?” Youngjae blinks as a hand strokes the top of his head and he turns to face the older man.

 

“I think you’re hopeful, and that’s a good thing to be. I hope you never lose that,” Mark smiles softly.

 

It’s been a few of months since he met Mark, but Youngjae’s heart skips a beat like it did the first time he saw that smile.

 

“It’s pretty easy to be hopeful with you right next to me.” Youngjae ducks his head bashfully. “I hope that never changes.”

 

Mark tilts his head up with two fingers and he leans down to press their lips together. Youngjae’s hand shyly comes up to curl around the nape of Mark’s neck, his fingers absently playing with the fine brown coloured hairs that are growing out there. Jinyoung choosing to sleep in the passageway with Yugyeom and Bambam leaves he and Mark technically alone in the living area, but Youngjae still can’t help but be acutely aware of the fact that they could be walked in on by five different people from two sides of the room.

 

“ _Ahhh, Jae…_ ”

 

Youngjae yanks his arm from around Mark’s neck and pulls away from his lips, trying but failing to suppress a shiver at the sight of the fine trail of saliva that extends between them.

 

“Uh, well, I’ve had a pretty long day running around with Jinyoung and we’ve got an even longer day tomorrow, so I’m gonna try and get some rest. Goodnight!” Youngjae turns on his side and flops onto the ground, his back to Mark. He clenches his eyes shut, hoping for sleep to take him quickly.

 

“Goodnight,” Mark’s soft voice drifts from behind him.

 

Youngjae can hear a bit of confusion and maybe even some disappointment in Mark’s tone, but he just can’t have this conversation right here and right now under the current circumstances. They’ll have the bedroom to themselves tomorrow; he’ll do it then. For now he throws an arm over his head, covering his ear in an attempt to block out the low moans in the next room.

 

 

 

 

The seven of them are greeted by dim light and bitter cold as they ascend the ladder the next morning. Youngjae is padded up with as many layers as he can wrap his body in without losing the ability to move his arms, but he still shivers as the chill seeps through the fabric and settles in his bones.

 

“Man, I really hope we find some warmer clothes there,” Bambam moans through chattering teeth.

 

“The sooner we get there is the sooner we can find out,” Jaebum says as he leads them out.

 

“Are you sure we shouldn’t leave someone behind to guard the shelter since the door only locks from the inside? We stumbled on it by accident, but the pile of bodies and defences around it make it stand out enough for someone passing by to want to investigate,” Yugyeom rubs his hands together.

 

“Who would we need to guard it against?” Jinyoung frowns.

 

“Surely we can’t be the only people left in the country.”

 

“I used to think so too, but now I wonder about that,” Mark mutters to himself.

 

Youngjae turns his head towards him in mild shock. Mark adopts a slightly abashed expression before he forces a smile to his face and shakes his head at Youngjae. That only makes Youngjae frown in concern.

 

“Is something wrong?” Youngjae asks in a low voice, stepping closer to Mark.

 

“Nothing serious, just winter blues,” Mark shrugs, his smile looking a bit less forced.

 

Youngjae isn’t sure what to think. Now probably isn’t the time to get into it, so he just shifts his bat into his left hand and reaches out to hold Mark’s hand with his right. Mark gives his hand a gentle squeeze and his smile no longer looks strained.

 

“Heads up, I see two of them stumbling out of the trees on the left,” Jackson points out.

 

Yugyeom steps forward, hefting the bat Jaebum gave him over his shoulder.

 

“Hold on, Yugyeom, I think Bambam should do it this time,” Jaebum lays a hand on the young man’s shoulder. 

 

“Me?” Bambam manages to keep the whine out of his voice, but he still makes a face.

 

“Yes, you. It’s been a while since you last took care of one and we don’t want you getting rusty, especially not today.”

 

Bambam takes the bat from Yugyeom with a sigh before he heads off.

 

“Look at it this way, the exercise will warm you up a bit,” Jackson calls to his back.

 

Bambam waves a hand without turning around.

 

Even with the cold slowing down the dead, it takes a little while for Bambam to bring the two of them down, his swings simply stunning instead of killing. Eventually, he hits them in the knees, knocking them down to the ground before he impales their heads with the end of the bat.

 

“Their skulls used to be so much easier to crack before, but now it’s like trying to break a rock with another rock,” Bambam pants as he heads back over to the group.

 

“Seems like the cold is a bit of a double-edged sword,” Jinyoung remarks as they continue on.

 

The field doesn’t look much different today than it did yesterday and it makes Youngjae wonder if the remaining dead are hanging around here because they have some kind of gut feeling that prey will come back, if the sight of a house stirs up faint memories of their past lives or if they just don’t have anywhere else to go.

 

“Okay, the herd seems to have thinned somewhat since we were last here, but still keep your guard up. This is especially important once we get inside,” Jaebum says as he leads them through the trees, stopping at the edge of the field.

 

“Jinyoung and Mark, you two start from the left. Youngjae and Jackson, you two start from the right. Yugyeom and Bambam will come with me and take the ones in the middle,” Jaebum gestures with his hands. “Let’s make sure we clear the field before we go inside the house. We don’t want any trouble when our bags and hands are full if we can avoid it.”

 

“Right,” Jackson nods.

 

“Alright, let’s go,” Jaebum moves forward, lifting the axe over his shoulder.

 

Before he heads off, Youngjae catches Mark’s eyes and tells him to be safe with his expression. Mark holds up Jaebum’s bat with a smile and he nods before he’s heading off with Jinyoung. Youngjae turns and jogs to catch up with Jackson.

 

“What, no parting kisses this time?” Jackson asks with a cheeky grin as Youngjae pulls up beside him.

 

Youngjae only has enough time to sputter incoherently before the dead are right in front of them.

 

“I’ll stun then and you finish them off!” Youngjae calls out as pushes all other thoughts on his mind and pours all his focus into their mission.

 

“Right,” Jackson responds as he falls back so he’s just behind Youngjae.

 

Jackson’s still got his protective suit to guard against bites, but he’s been left with one of the trowels to defend himself with after his fencing sword broke three weeks ago and he’s still not totally comfortable with it. Some of the dead go down with one hit from Youngjae’s bat, but Jackson takes care of the ones that don’t, holding them down and shoving the pointed end of the trowel through their temples with an enviable swiftness.

 

“Heads up, there’s some more coming from behind the safe house,” Jackson pulls the trowel from a smashed skull and uses it to point just in front of the hill.

 

“Let’s finish up here and go help out Jaebum,” Youngjae says before he runs at the last five or so dead in their area, swinging at their heads as he goes.

  
A quick glance behind him tells him that Jackson is quickly taking care of two that are still moving. Youngjae picks up his pace and heads out to the other side of the field where more dead are stumbling around, jumping over snow-covered lumps as he goes. Maybe it’s because he’s faced a much larger horde and lived to tell the tale or maybe it’s because he’s finally adapted to the new world, but Youngjae can’t find a shred of fear inside himself. He’s certainly aware that anything can happen and he’s not letting his guard down, but it’s been weeks since he has honestly thought he might die at their hands (and mouths).

 

“Ah, I really hope none of the dead got inside. I’m tired from the walk over here and all this stabbing,” Bambam groans as he follows behind Jaebum, jamming a thick, sharpened stick through the temples of the dead that the older man cuts down with his axe.

 

“You may be in luck, the door looked like it was closed when I passed it,” Jinyoung says as he finishes off the last of his targets.

 

“Even so, we don’t know if anything got inside, so don’t get too comfortable,” Jaebum says pointedly.

 

“Alright, let’s do this,” Jackson claps as he jogs back to the door to the safe house.

 

“I’ll go in first, Mark and Youngjae come in after and the rest of you follow,” Jaebum says as he turns the knob and pushes the door open.

 

Even though the sun hangs fairly high in the sky, the lack of windows and the layout of the house doesn’t allow too much light inside, and so Jaebum shines the penlight all around as he cautiously makes his way in and moves through the first floor. By the way the wood floors creak under their feet, Youngjae figures they should hear anything that tries to come for them long before they see it.

 

“The first floor is clear,” Jaebum says as he finishes checking the kitchen. “Doesn’t seem like anything’s got inside, but let’s still check upstairs.”

 

The second floor turns out to be just as empty as the first; nothing but dust has touched anything in the house in a long time. It’s good news for them in a way, but it’s also a reminder of the unknown fate of the shelter’s original owner.

 

“Let’s hurry up and get what we need,” Jaebum says, his voice sounding a bit rough.

 

Jackson reaches out to squeeze his shoulder.

 

Jaebum nods, accepting the comfort for a moment before he turns and heads back down the stairs. “I’m gonna go sweep the kitchen for food.”

 

Jackson follows after him.

 

“Well, the rest of us should check the bedrooms for fresh clothes and linens,” Mark speaks up, gesturing with his head for them to get to it.

 

“I’m gonna go find the bathroom and look for shampoo, soap and toothpaste,” Yugyeom heads off, Bambam following him.

 

“Get some toilet paper while you’re there,” Mark calls out to them.

 

“Sure,” Yugyeom says with a wave of his hand.

 

Youngjae waits for the two youngest to get out of earshot before he cautiously asks, “I know Jaebum is still upset about the way things have turned out, but what about you two? You knew the people who owned this place too, didn’t you?” 

 

“I only met Junho and Minjun a few times, Jinyoung and Jaebum are the ones who knew them for years,” Mark replies as he strips the sheet off the bed and folds it up tightly.

 

Youngjae looks at Jinyoung in question while he checks the wardrobe for warm clothes and something to sleep in.

 

“It’s not that I’m not upset about not knowing what happened to them—why they didn’t come here when they said they would—but I guess I’m just built to focus more on the present and the future rather than the past. Looking back while trying to move forward will only make you trip or bump into things, you know?” Jinyoung shrugs vaguely.

 

“And it would be so terribly unwise to dwell on maybes while we’re out on a mission, right?” Mark shoots him a teasing smile.

 

“Practical to a fault, I am,” Jinyoung nods sagely.

 

“Are you guys still in the first bedroom?” Bambam’s voice comes from the hallway.

 

“Yeah, what did you two find in the bathroom?” Mark calls out.

 

“We found new soap and toothpaste. There are a couple toothbrushes but they seem to be used,” Yugyeom reports as he enters the room, his and Bambam’s bag looking a lot fuller than when they left.

 

“Are you really bothered by a thing like that?” Mark raises an eyebrow.

 

“Not anymore, which is why we bagged them,” Bambam shrugs.

 

“We also found a towel, shaving cream, and couple disposable razors,” Yugyeom says.

 

“Ah, my kingdom for a shave,” Jinyoung moans wistfully as he fingers the scruff on his lip and his chin.

 

“If you wanted it, then you should’ve claimed it,” Bambam sticks out his tongue.

 

“What do you  _children_  even need shaving cream for?” Jinyoung scoffs derisively.

 

“Alright, alright, enough of that. You can bicker over the spoils when we’re safely underground again,” Mark cuts in. “Youngjae, you finished with the wardrobe and the closet?”

 

“Yeah, I found a couple pairs of sweatpants and hoodies. No coats though.”

 

“That’s good still. I’ll go what I can find in the next one,” Jinyoung says as he heads out the room. Yugyeom and Bambam make faces at him as he passes by.

 

“You do that, I wanna see if I can find some thick socks in here,” Bambam says as he checks the drawers.

 

“I’m gonna head downstairs. Aside from food and clothes and linen, I want to see if there’s any miscellaneous things that we might find useful,” Youngjae says as he grabs a pillow and makes for the stairs. Mark follows him.

 

“Think we should take back a frying pan; maybe give it to Yugyeom or Bambam to use instead of that stick?” Mark grins as they take a look around the living room. Youngjae can’t hold back a laugh at the mental image.

 

“What’s so funny?” Jackson sticks his head out from the kitchen.

 

“Mark thinks we should arm Yugyeom and Bambam with a frying pan,” Youngjae chuckles.

 

“Like Wilma from the Flintstones?” Jackson bursts out laughing.

 

“Yes, exactly!” Mark grins wider.

 

Youngjae doesn’t know what they’re referencing, but he laughs along with them anyway.

 

“I wouldn’t object to having something we could cook with so we could actually have something hot once in a while,” Jackson says as his laughter peters off.

 

“Me too, I’m gonna look around for matches and lighter fluid.”

 

“I already got it,” Jaebum says as he steps into the living room, adjusting the bag slung over his shoulder. “Are we just about done? I don’t want to hang around any longer than necessary.”

 

“We’re basically done here, I could go fetch the others if you want,” Mark offers.

 

“It’s alright I’ll do it,” Jaebum says as he makes his way up the stairs. About three minutes later, Jaebum descends the stairs, Jinyoung, Bambam and Yugyeom following behind him with sheets and pillows in their hands.

 

“I feel like there’s more stuff we could come back for,” Yugyeom says as they head out the front door and set out across the field again. “It’s really not that long a walk really for what we’re getting out of it.”

 

“What, like, later today?” Jackson asks.

 

“Not necessarily, but some other day maybe?”

 

“We’ll see how it goes,” Jaebum says noncommittally.

 

In addition to their weariness from clearing the field, the extra weight of the things they’re carrying considerably slows their walk back to base. Although Jaebum never intended for them to stop to eat out on the road, the growling of their stomachs—not to mention Yugyeom and Bambam’s complaining—eventually gets to be too loud to ignore. By the time the pointed ends of the wooden spikes around their base comes into view, the sun is beginning to set on another day. They’re about a hundred meters away from the door when it happens.

 

“Hey, Youngjae, can I ask you for a second opinion?” Yugyeom nudges him in the side.

 

“What is it, Yugyeom?” Youngjae turns to him.

 

Yugyeom points up in the sky while squinting. “It’s kind of hard for me to see at this time of day and I left my binoculars behind. Could you tell me if that’s a bird or something? It’s been bugging me for a little while,” Yugyeom blinks hard and rubs his eyes.

 

Youngjae follows his finger. It’s far away enough in the air and the light from the sun is low enough for Youngjae not to recognise what it is at first. His immediate thought is that it is just a bird, but then it gradually draws closer and closer and it’s much too big to be a bird. It’s only when it gets close enough for him to hear the swishing of the blades that his brain finally understands what his eyes are seeing.

 

“It’s a helicopter,” Youngjae mutters to himself in disbelief. “There’s a helicopter in the sky!”

 

“No way,” Mark whispers, his eyes wide as he follows Youngjae’s finger.

 

“Is it from the military?” Jinyoung’s mouth hangs open.

 

“Who cares who owns it or where it came from?! Hey! We’re over here! We’re right here!” Jackson jumps and waves his arms.

 

Their bags are all sent tumbling to the ground as everyone else joins in jumping up and down and shouting at the sky. Jaebum goes as far as to try to chase after it to attract attention, but their efforts are fruitless; the helicopter sails right over their heads and disappears into the horizon.

 

“Fuck!” Jaebum swears. Snow and bits of grass are sent flying off the toe of his shoe.

 

“I guess it’s just too dark for them to see us,” Mark sighs mournfully.

 

“If only we still had that signal flare.” Yugyeom wrings his hands.

 

“I can’t believe it,” Jinyoung breathes.

 

“I know, it was  _right there_  and then it flew off,” Jackson groans as he grabs at his hair.

 

“Yeah, but if it came by once who’s to say it won’t come again?”

 

“Or there might be another helicopter that will pass by,” Youngjae speaks up. “I’ve been regularly checking the radio and—the radio!” Youngjae breaks off his sentence as he sprints the rest of the way to their base. He all but flies down the ladder and into the living area, just barely managing to keep upright as he trips over his own feet in his haste.

 

“Do you hear anything on the radio?” Mark is not far behind him.

 

“Not just yet,” Youngjae pants as he changes the frequency.

 

“Wait, go back! I think I heard something,” Mark grabs his forearm. Youngjae obliges.

 

“…visibility fair… heading north northwest at…estimated arrival…copy…”

 

“Is that the helicopter pilot?” Jaebum skids to stop by Youngjae’s elbow.

 

“I think so. It might be.”

 

“And we can’t send out a message to tell him to come back for us?” Jaebum grabs fistfuls of his own hair. It’s a rhetorical question and the answer is pretty depressing, so nobody says anything in reply. “Shit,” Jaebum curses as he slams a fist against the wall.

 

“I still don’t think that that was our last hope of a rescue,” Jinyoung says as he drops his bag onto the floor. “We missed it this time, but now that we’re anticipating it, we can be ready for the next time.”

 

“You mean like, have someone posted up top as a lookout?” Jackson asks with furrowed brows.

 

“We could do that, but it might not be enough on its own. The silver lining of this situation is that I think we’ve found a better use for the dead than simply having them thrown into a heap,” Jinyoung says with a grin.

 

“I don’t follow,” Jackson shakes his head.

 

“We spell out a message with the bodies,” Jinyoung says as if it’s obvious.

 

“Ahhh, I see. That’s actually not a bad idea, Park Jinyoung,” Jackson says appreciatively.

 

“It would have to be pretty big to be seen from the sky,” Yugyeom murmurs. “Do we even have enough bodies to do that?”

 

“There’s a field full of dead that we could use if we run out,” Jinyoung points out.

 

“And go back and forth all that way carrying a freaking corpse over our shoulders? No way!” Bambam vehemently shakes his head.

 

“I agree with Bambam, that doesn’t seem very practical,” Mark speaks up. Bambam blinks in surprise before he flashes Mark a grin. “I think we should use what bodies we do have to make something eye-catching, if not a verbal message, and we set up wood to make a bonfire to attract attention in case we see another helicopter fly by.”

 

“Sounds good to me,” Jinyoung nods.

 

“Alright, sounds like a plan. Rest up tonight and prepare yourselves for an early start tomorrow morning,” Jaebum nods. “We’ve got wood to chop and bodies to move.”

 

Youngjae is the last one to take a shower that day. The water pouring out of the showerhead is as cold as ever, but having access to soap and shampoo and being able to truly scrub his body clean for the first time in weeks just about makes up for it. He ends up staying under the cold spray longer than he ever has before, just revelling in the feeling of being clean. Once he dries himself off and gets his sleeping clothes on he makes a mad dash through the dark to the bed—now covered with fresh sheets—and dives beneath the covers.

 

“Oh wow, your skin is freezing. I’m actually surprised that you haven’t turned into a human shaped block of ice considering how long you were in there,” Mark chuckles as he rubs the covers over Youngjae’s body, the friction providing a bit of much needed heat.

 

“Ahh, I’m so cold!” Youngjae wails through chattering teeth. The covers shift as Mark ducks fully underneath them and shuffles down the bed. Youngjae blinks as Mark tangles their legs together and takes Youngjae’s hands in his, rubbing them together.

 

“Is this better?” A tingling sensation runs through Youngjae’s hands as Mark breathes warm air onto them. It’s probably just the numbness from the cold fading, but the accompanying fluttering in his stomach indicates that’s not all it is.

 

“Yeah, thanks,” Youngjae mumbles.

 

Although they’ve slept spooned together over a dozen times, Youngjae has never felt more acutely aware of how close their bodies are than he has now. It’s too dark for Youngjae to see Mark’s face, but he can tell from the way the other man is slowly stroking his hands that he’s staring very intently at Youngjae.

 

“No problem,” Mark says softly.

 

It’s a wonder that Youngjae can hear him over the thudding of his own heart. The motion of Mark stroking his hands slows down even more until it stops altogether. Youngjae isn’t exactly surprised by the feeling of lips covering his, but his eyes bug out of his head and his whole body goes tense when Mark slowly moves his thigh against Youngjae’s.

 

“Sorry,” Mark mutters as he pulls away.

 

“N-no, don’t, it’s not—” Youngjae bites his lip, cutting off his own sentence.

 

“I’m not sure I understand.” Youngjae can’t help but cringe at Mark’s wounded tone of voice. “Is there any…”

 

For a long moment, Youngjae hears the sound of teeth clicking together after Mark trails off. Youngjae lets him collect his thoughts in silence.

 

“Do you not feel comfortable with me?” Mark asks at last.

 

“I—No, of course not,” Youngjae sputters incredulously. He doesn’t need to see Mark’s face to know the other man is giving him a doubtful look. “Really, I’m most comfortable when you’re near me,” Youngjae insists.

 

“Then why the—” Mark sucks in a breath and stiffens his body in an imitation of Youngjae’s reaction, “—just now?”

 

“It’s not that I don’t want to…get intimate, it’s just that I don’t really know what I’m doing,” Youngjae sighs, his eyes falling shut as embarrassment burns his face. “I had crushes when I was a kid, but they never really went anywhere because I was so awkward. After I got into high school I spent all my time studying to get a scholarship so I could go to university, and after I got into a university I spent all my time studying so that I could  _keep_  my scholarship.”

 

“So, you haven’t…”

 

“No,” Youngjae mumbles.

 

There’s a long moment where neither of them say anything more, they just sit in silence listening to the other breath. Youngjae wishes he could see Mark’s face so he could have some kind of idea about how the other man is feeling at his revelation.

 

“Would it be—”

 

“Is that a—”

 

“Oh, sorry, you go first,” Mark says, moving their still joined hands towards Youngjae.

 

“No, no, I’d rather hear what you were saying before,” Youngjae shakes his head.

 

“I was just saying that there’s nothing wrong with being inexperienced and I don’t mind waiting until you’re more comfortable, but I’d take care of you if you’d like to try it.”

 

“I would,” Youngjae whispers.

 

“Tell me if you want to stop,” Mark says softly before he brings their lips together again.

 

It’s amazing how much less anxious Youngjae feels now that he’s got his not-so-dirty little secret off his chest. Sure, his lips are trembling slightly and his heart is thumping almost painfully in his chest, but that’s at least partially due to anticipation now.

 

Mark eases himself off the bed and moves so that he’s kneeling over Youngjae’s body, his wiry arms on either side of Youngjae’s head. A long moan escapes Youngjae’s lips as a warm hand slips past the waistband of his underwear and wraps around his hardening cock. Youngjae has just enough of his faculties left to be thankful that Mark has kept their lips pressed together, muffling and swallowing every little noise that forces its way up Youngjae’s throat.

 

Youngjae’s hands clench and unclench uselessly in the sheets as Mark’s hand grips him tighter and slightly speeds up its pace. It was already quite warm under the sheets, but now Youngjae feels like he’s burning up as heat builds in his lower abdomen and radiates to the rest of his body. He’s gotten himself off many times before, but it feels much more different and  _so_  much better when it’s someone else’s hands on him—when it’s  _Mark’s_ hands on him.

 

Youngjae’s body jerk up and his eyes fly open when Mark twists his wrist and flicks his thumb over the head of Youngjae’s cock. This close, Youngjae can just about make out the soft brown of Mark’s eyes, can see the focus and the intent and the love in them. Youngjae’s hands fist themselves in Mark’s shirt, desperately holding onto his shoulders as the heat in his body spikes and he’s carried over the edge with a long shudder. Mark pulls his lips away at last, leaving Youngjae free to pant and try to catch his breath.

 

“Wow,” Youngjae sighs in contentment as Mark wipes him down with a tissue.

 

“So, you enjoyed yourself?” Youngjae can hear the teasing smile in Mark’s voice.

 

“You know I did,” he chuckles slightly. “Um, do you want me to…” Youngjae makes a vague motion with his hand, belatedly realising that Mark can’t see it.

 

“Don’t feel obligated to do it,” Mark says, the bed dipping slightly on Youngjae’s left as Mark lies back down.

 

Youngjae pouts before he rolls himself on top of Mark. “I won’t be as good as you are, but I still want to try it,” he punctuates his statement with a roll of his hips.

 

“Okay,” Mark chuckles.

 

Youngjae pouts again; he’s trying to be sexy, not funny. He starts off with what he’s comfortable with, kissing. To his satisfaction, Mark’s laughter peters off once Youngjae slips his tongue past Mark’s lips. The next time he rolls his hips it’s a soft moan that passes Mark’s lips. Youngjae hasn’t quite gotten the hang of kissing and grinding at the same time, so he pulls his mouth off Mark’s.

 

“What are you doing?” Mark asks in a breathy voice when Youngjae starts to shuffle down his body.

 

“Trying something,” Youngjae bites his lip before he reaches into Mark’s pants and carefully wraps a hand around his cock.

 

“Oh!” Mark whisper-shouts when Youngjae licks the head of his cock.

 

While he’s never done this before or had it done to him, Youngjae has a basic idea of how this goes, so he wraps his lips around the head and sucks it into his mouth. The smell, taste and feel of it aren’t like anything he’s ever experienced before, but it’s the pleasant fluttering feeling in his gut when Mark’s thighs tremble that really has him shocked. Youngjae sucks as hard as he can—being mindful of his teeth—and the feeling only intensifies as Mark struggles to suppress his moans.

 

He can’t take too much of the shaft into his mouth before he starts to gag, so he focuses on sucking on the head while his hand moves up and down the rest of the shaft. It makes Youngjae feel self-conscious and anxious about whether he’s doing a good job, but he relaxes a bit when he hears Mark’s breathing rate speed up. When his cheeks start to hurt from sucking and his hands tire, Youngjae pulls his mouth off Mark’s cock and licks it from base to tip. Maybe there’s a technique to it that he doesn’t know because it’s not long before the muscles in his neck ache as well.

 

“Are you okay? Do you want to stop?” Mark pants when Youngjae pauses to massage his neck.

 

“No, no, I just got a bit tired,” Youngjae shakes his dismissively.

 

“It’s not a problem for me to finish myself off, you know,” Mark offers.

 

“I said I want to do it,” Youngjae frowns determinedly.

 

He puts an end to the conversation when he puts his mouth on Mark’s cock and sucks harder than ever. He musters up all his energy and channels it into working his hand up and down Mark’s shaft. His hand feels like it’s about to fall off his wrist when Mark finally comes, but it’s worth the accomplished feeling he gets as Mark shudders beneath him. Some of Mark’s come goes shooting right down his throat, but the rest he just manages to catch in his mouth. For a few seconds, he debates with himself about what to do with it before a wad of tissue is held to his lips. After he’s done Youngjae rolls his tongue around in his mouth; Mark’s taste still lingers on it.

 

“So, you enjoyed yourself?” Youngjae shuffles up and rest his head on Mark’s chest, Mark’s arms wrapping around him and holding him there.

 

“Yeah, I did,” Mark tweaks his nose with a chuckle.

 

For a long moment the two of them just lie like that. Youngjae’s body is tired from the trip to the safe house and his mind is still a bit hazy from orgasm, but he doesn’t fall asleep. Mark’s still awake too judging by his breathing and the slight movements of his fingers on Youngjae’s back.

 

“Do you think the world can go back to the way it was before?” Youngjae mumbles into Mark’s chest. His head lifts and lowers as Mark takes a deep breath.

 

“Maybe not  _exactly_  the way it was before, but better than how it is now,” Mark says softly.

 

“The helicopter that flew by today looked like the ones used by the military. Do you think that means there’s still a government out there somewhere?” There’s no chance that Mark knows anything more than he does, but Youngjae can’t stop himself from asking.

 

“I think so. If government heads have contingency plans for things like nuclear warfare and if ordinary people like you and me can find a way to survive, then they should have been able to as well,” Mark says confidently.

 

“I wonder where the helicopter was going to, where it was flying from, if there’s a colony with other survivors.”

 

“It’s almost a shame that we’re going to have to leave this place behind just when we’ve made it ours,” Mark says with a wistful sigh. Youngjae shifts his head so that he’s staring into Mark’s eyes.

 

“There’s nothing we have here that we can’t have somewhere else,” he says seriously, lowering his head to plant a kiss on Mark’s lips. Youngjae can feel the corners of Mark's lips curling up.

 

“Right,” Mark says with a smile in his voice, his arms holding Youngjae tighter.

 

 

 

 

Fittingly enough, it’s New Year’s Day when the next helicopter passes by and this time they’re ready for it. They’ve got all the bodies of the dead and the refrigerator they dumped arranged to form the word ‘Hey’ from an aerial view. While Youngjae drops the binoculars and runs to throw open the hatch and call everyone up, Mark gets the fire going. While Youngjae dumps even more of the lighter fluid onto the fire and Jinyoung fans it with a blanket, the others spread out on the ground and shout at the helicopter in the sky.

 

“Hey, don’t just fly past us this time!” Bambam yells as he jumps and waves his arms in the air while Yugyeom blows at his whistle until he’s red in the face.

 

They carry on like that for about a minute and the helicopter continues on its way. Youngjae feels a chill run through him even as the side of his body is bathed in heat. Was the fire not big enough or smoky enough to attract the helicopter’s attention? Did they wait too long to get it lit? Was their message too small to be seen from that high up in the sky?

 

“Wait a minute, I think it’s…It is! It’s turning back!” Jackson exclaims.

 

Sure enough the helicopter is making a wide arc in the sky, turning around until it’s almost right above them. Even though they seem to have gotten their attention, Mark and Youngjae still can’t stop themselves from feeding the fire. Bambam and Jackson are jumping and waving harder than ever as Jinyoung cheers and claps with the corners of his eyes crinkling. Yugyeom barely has enough breath to catch to make any real noise with his whistle, but he keeps at it as the helicopter hovers before it begins its slow descent from the sky.

 

As it makes its way to the ground in front of them, Youngjae takes a moment to look at the six other men in his company. Jaebum is crouching in the snow, his face buried in Jackson’s neck and his shoulders shaking as Jackson rubs his back. Jinyoung is standing over them, stroking Jaebum’s hair and muttering reassurances to him. Bambam and Yugyeom nearly trip over their feet as they jump up and down and hoot at the sky with their arms wrapped around each other. His heart breaks a bit when he finds Mark sniffling into a hand with tears in his eyes. Youngjae hugs him from behind before he turns the other man around and kisses the tears off his cheeks.

 

“No matter what happens from now, we’ll be fine because we have each other, right?” Youngjae wipes a tear from the corner of Mark’s eye. Mark blinks back the rest of his tears and looks around at everyone else.

 

“Right,” Mark nods with a grin. Youngjae holds out his hand and Mark laces their fingers together.

 

The helicopter lands.

 

_~fin~_

 

 


End file.
